k56 
 
 R2B96e
 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 AT LOS ANGELES 
 
 L
 
 UNIVERSITY of CAHFORi 
 AT 
 LOS ANGELES 
 LIBRARY
 
 SOUTHERN B 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, 
 
 LIBRARY, 
 
 lLOS ANGELES, CALIF. 
 
 SUPPLEMENTARY EDUCATIONAL MONOGRAPHS 
 
 Published in conjunction with 
 
 THE SCHOOL REVIEW and THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL JOURNAL 
 No. 17 December 1920 
 
 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF 
 
 THE EYE -VOICE SPAN 
 
 IN READING 
 
 3 4 21 1
 
 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF 
 
 THE EYE- VOICE SPAN 
 
 IN READING 
 
 By 
 
 GUY THOMAS BUSWELL 
 
 ■ 
 
 .. . 
 
 \ t "* I ' ' » 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO 
 
 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 
 
 49857
 
 Copyright 1920 By 
 The University of Chicago 
 
 All Rights Reserved 
 
 Published December 1920 
 
 • 
 
 1 ' 
 
 
 
 
 * < .' 
 
 4 7 3 5
 
 A- ' 
 1 
 
 riA 
 
 TABLE OF CO NIK NTS 
 
 List of Figures vii 
 
 List of Plates ix 
 
 List of Tabi is xi 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 I. Introdi ction i 
 
 Problem i 
 
 Previous Studies 2 
 
 * Apparatus and Method of Present Study 3 
 
 Subjects Examined in the Present Study 7 
 
 II. The Eye- Voice Span 9 
 
 ' Detailed Statement of Method 9 
 
 Units of Measure 9 
 
 Reading Selections Used 9 
 
 Explanation of Typical Records 10 
 
 Table of General Data 15 
 
 Analysis of Eye-Voice Span 17 
 
 n Relation to Quality of Reading Throughout the School Grades . 17 
 
 Relation to Position in Sentence 41 
 
 Relation to Reading Rate 51 
 
 Relation to Number of Fixations 53 
 
 Relation to Regressive Movements 57 
 
 Summary ol Analysis of Eye-Voice Span 62 
 
 III. Continuous Relationship of Eye and Voice .... 64 
 
 Method 64 
 
 Explanation of Typical Plates 65 
 
 Elastic Nature of the Eye- Voice Span 78 
 
 Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Length of Fixations .... 79 
 
 IV. The Eye-Voice Span and the Recognition of Meaning . 87 
 
 ^> Material and Method Used . . . ' 87 
 
 Oral Reading of Test Passage 88 
 
 Silent Reading of Test Passage 05 
 
 The Relationship between Oral and Silent Reading .... 99 
 
 Index 105
 
 LIST OF FIGURES 
 
 FrGURES 
 
 PAGE 
 
 i. Average Eye-Voice Span by Grades — -Elementary Subjects . . 18 
 
 2. Average Eye-Voice Span by Grades — High-School Subjects . . 33 
 
 3. Development of Eye-Voice Span — All Subjects 40 
 
 4. Average Eye-Voice Span by Position in Sentence — Elementary 
 
 Subjects 43 
 
 5. Average Eye- Voice Span by Position in Sentence — High-School 
 
 Subjects 47 
 
 6. Average Eye-Voice Span at the Beginning, Within, and at the End 
 
 of Sentence — All Subjects 49 
 
 7. Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Reading Rate — Elementary Subjects 52 
 
 8. Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Reading Rate— High-School Subjects 54 
 
 9. Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Reading Rate — All Subjects . . 55 
 
 10. Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Average Number of Fixations per 
 
 Line — All Subjects 57 
 
 11. Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Eye-Movements- Just-Preceding- 
 
 Regressive-Movements — All Subjects 61 
 
 12. Relation of Errors in Word Test Paragraph to Eye- Voice Span . 94 
 
 13. The Development of the Attention Span in Reading .... 100 
 
 vu
 
 PLATE 
 I. 
 
 II. 
 III. 
 
 IV. 
 
 TVa. 
 
 V. 
 
 VI. 
 
 VII. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 IX. 
 
 X. 
 
 XI. 
 
 XII. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 XV. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 XIX. 
 
 XX. 
 
 XXI. 
 
 XXIa. 
 
 XXII. 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 XXV. 
 
 LIST OF PLATES 
 
 Location of Fixations from Film Record on Lines of Print, 
 Subject H5 
 
 Selections Used for the Experiments 
 
 Eye-Voice Span of Subject E12, Poor Reader, Grade IV 
 
 Eye- Voice Span of Subject H2, Good Reader, Freshman 
 
 Plate IV — Continued 
 
 ce Span of Subject E2, Good Reader, Grade II 
 ce Span of Subject E3, Poor Reader, Grade II 
 ce Span of Subject E6, Good Reader, Grade III 
 ce Span of Subject E7, Poor Reader, Grade III 
 ce Span of Subject Eo, Good Reader, Grade IV 
 ce Span of Subject E13, Good Reader, Grade V 
 ce Span of Subject E16, Poor Reader, Grade V 
 ce Span of Subject E17, Good Reader, Grade VI 
 ce Span of Subject E19, Poor Readei, Grade VI 
 ce Span of Subject E22, Good Reader, Grade VII 
 ce Span of Subject E24, Poor Reader, Grade VII 
 ce Span of Subject H6, Poor Reader, Freshman 
 ce Span of Subject H14, Good Reader, Junior 
 ce Span of Subject H16, Poor Reader, Junior 
 ce Span of Subject Hig, Good Reader, Senior 
 ce Span of Subject H24, Poor Reader, Senior 
 Continuous Eye-Voice Relationship, Subject Hi 
 
 Plate XXI— Continued 
 
 Continuous Eye-Voice Relationship, Subject H5 
 Continuous Eye- Voice Relationship, Subject H8 
 Continuous Eye-Voice Relationship, Subject Hio 
 Continuous Eye-Voice Relationship, Subject H22 
 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 Eye-Vo 
 
 PAGE 
 5 
 
 8 
 II 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 22 
 23 
 
 25 
 26 
 
 27 
 28 
 29 
 
 3° 
 31 
 
 35 
 36 
 37 
 38 
 
 39 
 66 
 
 67 
 70 
 
 7i 
 72 
 73 
 
 IX
 
 X 
 
 LIST OF PLATES 
 
 XXVI. Continuous Eye-Voice Relationship, Subject H23 . -74 
 
 XXVII. Continuous Eye-Voice Relationship, Subject A3 . . 75 
 
 XXYIII. Continuous Eye-Voice Relationship, Subject Ei 76 
 
 XXIX. Continuous Eye-Voice Relationship, Subject E5 . . 77 
 
 XXX. Effect of Xew and Difficult Words Upon Eye-Movements 82 
 
 XXXI. Location of Long Fixation Pauses, 19 Subjects ... 84 
 
 XXXIa. Plate XXXI— Continued 85 
 
 XXXII. Oral Reading of Test Passage by Subject H13 . . 89 
 
 XXXIII. Oral Reading of Test Passage by Subject Ai . . 90 
 
 XXXIV. Oral Reading of Test Passage by Subject A3 . . . . 91 
 XXXV. Silent Reading of Test Passage by Subject H3 ... 96 
 
 XXXVI. Silent Reading of Test Passage by Subject H7 ... 97 
 
 XXXVII. Silent Reading of Test Passage by Subject A4 ... 98
 
 LIST OF TABLES 
 
 TABLE 
 I. 
 
 II. 
 
 III. 
 
 IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 VI. 
 
 VII. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 IX. 
 X. 
 
 XI. 
 
 XII. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 XV. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 General Data for Oral Reading — All Subjects . . . . . 16 
 
 Average Eye- Voice Span by Grades — Elementary Subjects . . 17 
 
 Average Eye-Voice Span by Grades — High-School Subjects . 33 
 
 Average Eye-Voice Span by Position in Sentence — 'Elementary 
 
 Subjects 44 
 
 Average Eye-Voice Span by Position in Sentence — -High-School 
 
 Subjects 4° 
 
 Average Eye-Voice Span at the Beginning, Within, and at the 
 
 End of Sentence — All Subjects 48 
 
 Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Reading Rate— Elementary 
 
 Subjects 5 2 
 
 Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Reading Rate — High-School 
 Subjects -54 
 
 Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Reading Rate — All Subjects . 55 
 
 Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Average Number of Fixations per 
 
 Line — All Subjects 56 
 
 Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Number of Regressive Movements 
 
 per Line 58 
 
 Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Eye-Movements- Just-Preceding- 
 Regressive-Movements — All Subjects 61 
 
 Elasticity of Eye-Voice Span — Subject Hi 78 
 
 Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Length of Fixations ... 80 
 
 Errors in Word Test Paragraph — Oral Reading ... 93 
 
 Relation of Errors in Word Test Paragraph to Eye-Voice Span . 94 
 
 XI
 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 PROBLEM 
 
 In oral reading the eye always moves at a greater or less distance in 
 advance of the voice. For a mature reader the eye leads the voice by 
 a wide span, which at times amounts to as much as seven or eight words. 
 The immature reader, however, such as a pupil in the primary grades, has 
 a very narrow span. For such a reader the eye does not move from a 
 word until the voice has spoken it, and reading in many cases consists 
 merely of a series of spoken words. The eye- voice span, in that case, 
 is reduced to a minimum. A simple experiment of placing a card over 
 a printed page and uncovering only a word at a time will demonstrate 
 the situation which would exist if the eye and voice were kept very 
 close together. Interpretation of the passage is difficult under such 
 conditions. An eye-voice span of considerable width is therefore neces- 
 sary in order that the reader may have an intelligent grasp of the material 
 read, and that he may read it with good expression. If words are / 
 encountered which are spelled alike but pronounced differently such as 
 "read" (present tense) and "read" (past tense), the correct pronuncia- 
 tion and meaning cannot be determined in many cases until the eye has 
 observed the context by looking ahead. A still further need for a wide ' 
 eye- voice span is apparent when marks of punctuation are encountered. 
 This need is well illustrated by the reading of children when they arrive 
 at a question mark without having seen it in advance and find their 
 vocal expression entirely unprepared for it. Their failure to respond 
 with a rising inflection of the voice is clear evidence that they were not 
 looking ahead and that they were not getting the thought in large units. 
 The eye-voice span is of real significance, therefore, in the reading process. 
 In the diagnosis of difficulties in reading a measure of the eye-voice span 
 often affords a definite basis for treatment. Treatment not uncommonly 
 involves the construction of definite methods of teaching which will 
 serve to increase the width of the span. The purpose of this study is to 
 determine more fully and accurately the nature of the eye-voice span. 
 
 The problem will be considered in three divisions. In the first (a) a 
 study will be made of the differences in the width of the eye- voice span 
 in the different grades and in the high school, and (6) the variation in 
 the width of the span in different parts of the sentence. In both (a) and
 
 2 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 (b) the results will be presented in such a way as to show separately the 
 characteristics of pupils with mature and immature reading habits. 
 Following this, (c) a comparison will be made to show the relationship 
 of the width of the eye-voice span to rate of reading, number of fixations 
 per line, and regressive movements. 
 
 In the second division (&) a very detailed analysis of eye-voice 
 relationship will be made, which will show the exact position of the eye 
 and voice at each eye-fixation and will exhibit the variations in the 
 width of the eye-voice span in the reading of different passages by a 
 single individual. These results will be used (b) in an effort to explain 
 the cause of the occasional very long eye-fixations which appear in 
 reading records. 
 
 The third division of the investigation will make use of a test device, 
 consisting of a paragraph containing several words spelled alike but 
 pronounced differently, by which the eye-voice span in oral reading 
 will be studied in relation to the recognition of meaning in silent reading. 
 
 PREVIOUS STUDIES 
 
 Previous to this time the subject of this investigation has appeared, 
 so far as the writer can discover, only twice in the literature of experi- 
 mental studies of reading. In 1897 Quantz 1 did some work on the 
 problem without the use of elaborate apparatus. His experiment was 
 carried out by quickly slipping a card over the page while the subject 
 was reading and recording the number of words spoken after the view 
 was cut off. The method gave results which, for two reasons, are not 
 directly comparable with those of the present study. The first is that 
 the method did not record the location of the eye's fixation at the 
 instant the view was cut off, but recorded the number of words which 
 could be correctly given. In ordinary reading material more words 
 could be given than were actually seen, by simply filling out the content 
 of the meaning. This would cause a considerable error in the results 
 which might have been partly reduced by the use of non-sense material 
 instead of the meaningful material used. The use of such material 
 would, however, have introduced another difficulty due to the fact 
 that non-sense material is not normal reading-matter. The method 
 used by Quantz gave an apparently wider eye-voice span than actually 
 existed. The second factor which would cause a difference in results 
 from those of the present study is that by Quantz's method the num- 
 ber of words recorded would include all which were seen even to the 
 
 1 J. O. Quantz, "Problems in the Psychology of Reading," Psychological Review 
 Monograph Supplement, Vol. II, No. 1. 1897. Pp. 1-51. Princeton, N.J.: Psycho- 
 logical Review Co.
 
 INTRODUCTION 3 
 
 limits of the perceptual area, while by the method of this investigation 
 the location of the eye is recorded at a point within the fixation area. 
 This again operates to give a wider span for Quantz's study. 
 
 Quantz computed the correlations between eye-voice span and rate 
 of reading and between eye-voice span and the positions in the line. 
 He found a high correlation between reading rate and the width of the 
 eye-voice span. He also found that the span depended to a great 
 extent upon the point in the line at which the view was cut off. He 
 reports an average span of 7.4 words at the beginning of a line, 5.1 
 words in the middle, and 3 . 8 words at the end of the line. 
 
 The second reference which has been made to this problem is found 
 in the study made by C. T. Gray 1 in 191 7. Gray's report gave seven 
 plates showing the readings of six subjects, one from the seventh grade, 
 two from the high school, and three from college students. No detailed 
 analysis of the records was made and no correlations were given, but 
 his conclusions were summed up in the statement that "the separation 
 between eye and voice in oral reading varies from individual to indi- 
 vidual or from point to point within the same selection." 
 
 With the exception of these two brief references, no previous inves- 
 tigations appear in the literature canvassed by the writer. 
 
 APPARATUS AND METHOD OF PRESENT STUDY 
 
 The apparatus and general method of this investigation are the 
 same as used by C. T. Gray and other investigators in the Chicago 
 laboratory. They are fully described in Gray's 2 monograph. One 
 change was made in the equipment there described. The hand-feed 
 arc lamp was discarded and a new three-wire automatic arc was installed 
 in its place. This lamp is automatically fed by a magnetic release and 
 has the advantage of producing a beam of light of constant intensity 
 and at a constant point of location. 
 
 Without describing the apparatus in detail, it may be well to describe 
 in general the method of this investigation. It consists of photographing 
 a beam of light, generated by the arc lamp, reflected first to the 
 cornea of the eye from silvered glass mirrors, and then from the cornea 
 through a camera lens to a moving film. The pencil of light changes 
 its direction with each movement of the eye. The subject reads and a 
 photograph is made on the film which records the movements of the eye 
 
 1 C. T. Gray, "Types of Reading Ability as Exhibited through Tests and Labora- 
 tory Experiments," Supplementary Educational Monographs, Vol. I, No. 5. Chicago: 
 University of Chicago Press, 191 7. Pp. 106-20. 
 
 2 Ibid., pp. 83-90.
 
 4 A STUDY OF THE EYE- VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 as a sharply focused line. An electrically driven tuning-fork, with a 
 vibration rate of fifty times per second, is mounted in the path of the 
 beam of light in such a way that the light is intercepted at each vibra- 
 tion. These vibrations produce on the film a line of dots rather than a 
 solid line, each dot representing a time of exactly one-fiftieth of a second. 
 Since the film is moved continuously in the vertical plane, the record 
 shows a vertical line of dots while the eye is fixated in a single position, 
 and a short horizontal line when the eye is in motion in a horizontal or 
 oblique direction. Vertical movements of the eye are lost. A second 
 line, the head-line, is obtained on the film by the reflection of the light 
 from a bright nickel-plated bead fastened to the rim of a pair of spectacles 
 worn by the reader. This line shows any head movement which may 
 occur, and since it is impossible to eliminate all head movement, this 
 line is of the greatest importance. Every eye-fixation is located with 
 reference to the position of the head-line, and by this means correction 
 is made for all head movement. This brief statement of apparatus 
 and method may be supplemented by the very detailed explanation 
 given in Gray's monograph. 1 
 
 The method of determining the location of the fixations on the printed 
 lines from the film record has not been adequately described in previous 
 studies. This part of the technique is of sufficient importance to receive 
 a careful explanation here. Plate I shows the film record for the first 
 two lines read by Subject H5. On this plate, line xy is the head-line 
 made by the reflection from the metal bead. The upper part of the 
 line shows little head movement, but the lower part shows such move- 
 ment very distinctly. Movements of the head such as occur at the 
 lower part of the plate would cause an error in locating fixations of as 
 much as four or five letters, if the head-line were not provided for cor- 
 rection. Many head movements, especially for children in the lower 
 grades, are much greater than those shown by this subject. 
 
 The eye record made by the light reflected from the cornea is shown 
 in the lines cd and ef. The line cd represents the reading of the first 
 line of the paragraph, and the line ef the reading of the second. The 
 vertical lines of dots show the fixations of the eye. The horizontal line 
 de shows the movement of the eye from the end of the first line to the 
 beginning of the second. Since each dot on the film represents one 
 fiftieth of a second, this movement from line to line consumed two 
 fiftieths of a second. By counting the dots it will be found that the last 
 fixation of the first line took nine fiftieths of a second, and the one just 
 before it, twenty-three fiftieths. 
 
 1 C. T. Gray, op. til., pp. 86-90; 106-20.
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 PLATE I 
 
 Th? tw> nen we "e sented at a able upon ^vhiish 
 
 10 7 
 
 ISL. IS 10 //, 
 
 Location of fixations from film record on lines of print, Subject H5
 
 6 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IX READING 
 
 The points a and b on the plate are related to the printed matter 
 read by having the reader fixate his eyes upon a dot placed just above 
 the first letter of the first line, and then upon another dot just above 
 the last letter of the line. The fixation for the first dot cannot be shown 
 on this small section of the film, but the point a lies in the vertical 
 extension of that fixation. The point b lies in the path of the fixation 
 on the second dot, a few dots of the fixation showing just below b. 
 The distance, therefore, from point a to point b equals the distance 
 covered by a movement of the eyes from one end of a line of print to 
 the other, and all fixation movements will fall on the film between lines 
 extended vertically from these points. If the film were further enlarged 
 until point a rests over the first letter of the first line and point b over 
 the last letter, the vertical projections of the fixations would fall exactly 
 over the letter upon which the eye was fixated at that time. For the 
 first line shown in the plate, the first fixation would fall exactly over the 
 first letter of the word "two"; the second fixation would fall exactly 
 over the last letter of "the"; the third fixation would fall exactly over 
 the first letter of "men"; etc. It was by this method that all of the 
 films were translated into positions of the eye on the printed lines. 
 The film was run through a stereoptican projection apparatus which 
 enlarged the record on a screen until the points represented on the plate 
 by a and b exactly coincided with the edges of the paragraph. The film 
 was then wound through the stereopticon on a spool, and the location 
 of each fixation marked on the letter over which it passed. The length 
 of the fixation was recorded at the same time by counting the dots on 
 the film. In Plate I, the fixations are connected by vertical extensions 
 to the line connecting points a and b. The lines drawn from these pro- 
 jections to the words intersect the words at exactly the place where the 
 fixations would be located if the film were enlarged until line ab was 
 equal to the width of the printed line. 
 
 In order to get a record of the voice the photograph was supple- 
 mented by a dictaphone record of the oral reading taken for all subjects 
 at the same time the photograph was made. The speaking tube of the 
 dictaphone was placed directly in front of the reader's mouth. In 
 order to record the exact relation to the eye-movements on the film, the 
 speaking tube was divided, one section being attached to a box contain- 
 ing a tap-bell operated by an electric switch. This same switch also 
 operates a camera shutter with its action reversed so that it is normally 
 open instead of closed. The shutter is placed in the path of the beam 
 of light in such a manner that when the switch is operated quickly the 
 beam of light is shut off for an instant and the bell rings at the same
 
 INTRODUCTION 7 
 
 time. The breaks in the photograph and the bell signal on the dicta- 
 phone record thus make it possible to synchronize the operations of the 
 eye and voice. A typical interception on the film is shown in a short 
 gap in the film line in Plate I, at point g on the eye-line and h on the 
 head-line. The bell records a sharp click on the dictaphone wax record 
 at the same time. In Plate I the break in the eye-line occurred during 
 the sixth fixation at point g. This point on the printed copy falls on 
 the third letter of the word "seated.' 1 The dictaphone recorded the 
 click of the bell at the same time that the subject was pronouncing the 
 word "two." This means that when the subject was pronouncing 
 "two" his eye was fixated upon the word "seated." The interval from 
 "two" to "sea'ted," as marked on the plate by a dotted line, shows 
 the distance that the eye was ahead of the voice. This is the interval 
 spoken of as the eye-voice span. The eye-voice span could be deter- 
 mined at any desired place in the reading by simply pushing the switch 
 key at the time the subject pronounced that particular word. This 
 was done nine times in the reading of each elementary pupil, and eight 
 times during the reading of each high-school pupil. The wax record 
 gave a means of checking the movement to see if it occurred at exactly 
 the place desired. If it should occur too soon or too late the dictaphone 
 furnishes a means of correction. 
 
 SUBJECTS EXAMINED IN THE PRESENT STUDY 
 
 Photographs were taken of the readings of fifty-four different sub- 
 jects selected as follows. Two good and two poor readers were selected 
 from each of the elementary grades above the first, on the basis of 
 scores made in William S. Gray's Oral Reading Paragraphs. Three 
 good and three poor readers were selected through the co-operation of 
 the English department and the high-school principal from each of the 
 four high-school classes. Six adult college students were selected at 
 random and ranked into two divisions, one better than the other. The 
 three poorer adult subjects were, however, fairly good readers. The 
 entire group of subjects, therefore, included twenty-four from the ele- 
 mentary school, twenty-four from the high school, and six college 
 students, each grouping being made up of equal numbers of good and 
 poor readers. Great care was used in the selection of these groups in 
 order that all the characteristics of the subjects might be known in 
 advance so as to clear the way for concentration of attention during the 
 investigation on the one matter of the eye-voice span. The reading 
 rate of all subjects was taken at the time of the experiment, using 
 material of the same degree of difficulty as that used for the photograph.
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 PLATE II 
 
 The kitten pulled at the veil and wreath 
 of flowers with her cunning paws. Little by 
 little she drew them to the edge of the box. 
 At last she poked her head right through the 
 wreath, but she couldn't get it out again. 
 
 The two men were seated at a table upon which 
 many books and papers were scattered. The 
 older man turned to a page in a large book and 
 began to read. The subject of the chapter was 
 something about hypnagogic hallucinations and 
 hyperaesthesia. A few pages further on he 
 came to a sentence which read, "One thing, 
 however, is obvious, namely, that the manner in 
 which we become acquainted with complex 
 objects need not in the least resemble the 
 manner in which the original elements of our 
 consciousness grew up." 
 
 Selections used for the experiments
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 DETAILED STATEMENT OF METHOD 
 
 Units of measure. — Throughout the study the unit of time measure 
 is one-fiftieth of a second, corresponding to the vibration rate of the 
 tuning-fork time-marker. In all of the plates shown the length of 
 fixations is given by the row of figures beneath the printed line, and is 
 recorded in units of fiftieths of a second. 
 
 The unit of measure for the width of the eye-voice span is one letter- 
 space. The term "letter-space" may be defined as the space taken by 
 one letter or one punctuation mark, or the blank space between words. 
 This unit is an arbitrary one, but is constant throughout the study. For 
 the selections used the average number of letter-spaces per word is five. 
 Therefore the denomination of any of the results may be transposed 
 from letter-space units to word units by dividing by five. 
 
 Reading selections used. — The reading selections used for this part 
 of the study are reproduced in Plate II in the same form and size of 
 type as used in the experiment. The upper selection, taken from one 
 of the Courtis silent-reading tests, 1 was read by the pupils selected from 
 the elementary grades. This paragraph was chosen because it was 
 desirable to use a selection which was not too difficult for second-grade 
 children, but could be used also for the pupils of the five higher grades. 
 The paragraph was found to be well adapted to this purpose. The 
 selection used for the elementary pupils was necessarily shorter than 
 that used for high-school students, since the younger children read more 
 slowly and the time for taking the photograph was limited by the length 
 of the film. The films used were forty-two inches long, and in passing 
 through the camera allowed fifty seconds of reading time. The elemen- 
 tary pupils were directed to "read naturally just as you would if you 
 were reading in class for your teacher." From all objective evidence 
 the pupils did read naturally and were not disturbed by the apparatus. 
 The subjects from the second grade carried out the experiment fully as 
 well as those from the higher classes. When the subjects began to read 
 
 ■S. A. Courtis, "The Kitten Who Played May-Queen," Silent-Reading Test 
 No. II, Form I. Standard Research Tests. Detroit: S. A. Courtis.
 
 io A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 they apparently forgot about the apparatus and centered all their 
 attention upon the reading. 
 
 The selection shown in the lower part of Plate II was used for the 
 high-school and college students. It was constructed with three pur- 
 poses in mind. The first aim was to provide a few lines of easy, normal 
 reading-matter. The first four lines provide this. The second purpose 
 was to introduce a few new and difficult words to find the reaction to 
 that kind of a situation. The three words in lines five and six were 
 therefore introduced, and were found to be new to all of the high-school 
 subjects. The third aim was to introduce a sentence made up of easy 
 words but containing a difficult thought. The last sentence in the 
 paragraph taken from James' Principles of Psychology, satisfied this 
 requirement. The subjects were directed to "read the paragraph 
 naturally, just as you would a newspaper. If you meet any new or 
 difficult words, pronounce them the best you can and go on. Try to 
 remember the thought well enough so you could tell what you have 
 read if asked to do so." The introduction of the three difficult words 
 in lines five and six caused such a disturbance of the eye-movements 
 that the results for these two lines are entirely omitted in the table of 
 general data and in all general averages given throughout the study. 
 The difficulties encountered will, however, be given special treatment 
 in the next chapter. 
 
 Explanation of typical records. — In order that the discussion in this 
 report may be more easily followed, a detailed explanation of the plates 
 of two typical subjects will be given here. Plate III shows such a 
 record from a pupil belonging to the elementary school and Plate IV, 
 one from a student in the high school. 
 
 Plate III shows the oral reading of a poor reader from the fourth 
 grade. The short vertical lines drawn through the words indicate the 
 points of eye fixations. The serial numbers above the vertical lines 
 indicate the order of the fixations, while the numbers at the lower end 
 of the lines indicate the lengths of the fixations in fiftieths of a second. 
 Referring to the first line of this plate it will be seen that the first fix- 
 ation fell upon the word "kitten" and that the eye remained there for 
 five fiftieths of a second. The subject evidently did not feel sure of the 
 beginning of the line, as indicated by the position of the second fixation 
 which fell just after the first word of the line. The eye remained fixed 
 at this point for forty-nine fiftieths of a second. The third fixation was 
 located just before the third word and lasted for ten fiftieths of a second. 
 The succeeding fixations may be observed by following the upper series
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 II 
 
 PLATE III 
 
 The 
 
 VI 
 
 kiiten 
 
 HE 
 I., 
 
 t H 
 
 pullec 
 
 clt 
 
 he 
 
 V| 
 
 I 
 I ? 
 
 and wre ith 
 
 vei 
 
 i/f f- /a 
 
 /* /A 
 
 IS 
 
 i I 
 
 ii 
 
 >E 
 
 v, r E 
 
 i 
 
 of f 
 
 lowers 
 
 X. V 3 I IC 
 
 \\ T 1 
 
 ith 
 
 <2 3 
 
 ier 
 
 // jr ? 
 
 cJiniiiij^ paws. Litle bk r 
 
 .a* 
 
 3 s. 
 
 H 
 
 s 
 
 ■7 
 
 little sk drew the 
 
 '7 S g 
 
 E 
 1 Vi jE 
 
 -2. J , i? !v 
 
 At last she poked 
 
 in to 
 
 the edge 
 
 // 
 
 •S 17 7 
 
 v- 
 
 i ? ! /o 
 
 he box. 
 
 $ s 
 
 32, 
 
 S -Zl 
 
 13 is 
 
 I A. /- 
 
 Vj ,E 
 
 v, ; e 
 
 I 
 
 
 3 y 
 
 r 
 i 
 
 wreath, buf she | couldn't &<|4 jt ofut again. 
 
 J2 ij 
 
 K 
 
 Jty $ IS 13 /> 9 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject E12, poor reader, Grade IV
 
 12 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE- VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 PLATE IV 
 
 I 
 
 3- I 3 I H 
 
 I 
 
 The two 
 
 i 
 6 / 
 
 10 II 
 
 nen we l 
 
 '\ 
 
 *e seated at a able 
 
 lpon whioh 
 
 is /<? a ii 
 
 i z 
 
 13 'I 'I 
 
 3 H 
 
 many books and 
 
 3S >f> 
 
 >o 17 
 
 1.0 9 
 
 Vr- 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 IS 9 
 
 paj>ers were scattered. 
 
 7 £ ? 
 
 JO 
 
 Th€ 
 
 io <? '9 
 
 [E 
 
 ^ ' 
 
 s. 2 tf. S & 
 
 older man turned to a p 
 
 ■2-H 
 
 ge in a arge 
 
 n f 
 
 book and 
 
 /J '3 
 
 *-? 
 
 began 
 
 i 
 
 s ,c 
 
 • i 
 
 ? 9 
 
 to read. The subject of the 
 
 ii) 7 3.Z 
 
 iL 
 
 chapter was 
 
 'H 
 
 IO 2_J 
 
 ii. 
 
 3 5 & 4 7 9 $ /o // 
 
 something 
 
 IS. 
 
 about 
 
 19 
 
 hypnagogic 
 
 hallucinations and 
 
 / -z 
 
 3 
 
 hypers est hesi a 
 
 li if- io zf 10 j j- 7 // f ,3 
 
 Vl -rE 
 
 J ' 
 
 '3 
 
 I 
 
 A few 
 
 pages 
 
 f urtl Ler on 
 
 UO /$ 33 33. 7 3.0 JL3- 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject H2, good reader, freshman 
 
 19
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 PLATE IVa 
 
 13 
 
 A V 3 S 
 
 camc 
 
 to a sentence whic 
 
 6 
 
 ■i 
 
 9 
 
 y /a 
 
 isl 
 
 7 S~ /s. 7 
 
 read, "One 
 
 id * 9 
 
 th 
 
 ing. 
 
 /a 13 
 
 I 9 
 
 \4 X 7 * 
 
 however, s obvious, 
 
 17 X3 
 
 I 
 
 I* 
 
 I 
 
 31 >1 "v- 
 
 ]T|amel 
 
 '6 
 
 1? 10 
 
 \0 
 
 jl 12- 13 H IS 
 
 that the manner 
 
 it 
 
 111 
 
 \3 li, 
 
 7 'S i 
 
 JL 
 
 I 3 
 
 S 
 
 w 
 
 hich 
 
 we Dec Dine 
 
 >H 7 % I A 
 
 acquain ed with 
 
 XX. 
 
 Vi 
 
 I 
 
 L I 
 I 
 
 complex 
 
 >s 
 
 1/ 
 
 IE 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 objects need :iot in 
 
 the least 
 
 3% 
 
 20 
 
 ts 
 
 \A 
 
 4 \L S7 
 
 resemble the 
 
 // 7 m 7 
 
 /1 
 
 g 
 
 3 J H- 
 
 f 9 
 
 manner 
 
 /* 
 
 in wh ch tie 
 
 original 
 
 IH 
 
 it> 9 1 
 
 elements of 
 
 t$ 
 
 0111 
 
 t? 
 
 // 3.0 
 
 Vi — 
 
 ,E 
 
 consciousness grow up 
 
 y& 
 
 is 1 <f 
 
 Plate IV — Continued
 
 14 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 of numbers in order. The function of this investigation is concerned 
 with the eye-voice span rather than with the nature of these fixation 
 pauses. A very thorough analysis and interpretation of eye-movements 
 and fixations in reading have been made in another monograph of this 
 series. 1 
 
 The eye-voice separation is shown, for several typical positions, in 
 Plate III by a bracket of broken lines. The position of the voice is 
 marked by the letter V and the position of the eye, by the letter E. 
 Referring to the first line of this plate, it will be seen that when the voice 
 was pronouncing the word " kitten " the eye was fixated on the last letter 
 of the third word. If the number of letter-spaces included in the 
 bracket connecting the positions of the voice and eye are counted, it 
 will be found that the eye-voice span at this position is 1 1 letter-spaces. 
 The eye-voice span was next measured at the end of the first line. As 
 the voice was pronouncing the first part of the word "wreath," the eye 
 was fixated on the first letter of the word "flowers" in the next line, 
 making an eye-voice span of 8 letter-spaces plus the time consumed in 
 moving back to the beginning of the line. Likewise, when the voice 
 was pronouncing "paws" the eye was fixated on the last letter of "little,'' 
 making a span of 9 letter-spaces. In the last line of Plate III the voice 
 was pronouncing the word "couldn't" just as the eye was moving from 
 the fifth to the sixth fixation. This occurred frequently, and in such 
 cases the span was measured from the position of the voice to a point 
 half-way between the two eye fixations, as shown by the branching of 
 one arm of the bracket in this case. 
 
 As explained in the preceding chapter, the operation by which the 
 positions of the eye and voice were determined was controlled by an 
 electric switch. It was therefore possible to measure with exactness 
 the eye-voice span at any desired position in the paragraph by simply 
 pressing the connection at that point in the reading. For the sake of 
 comparisons, nine positions were selected in the passage read by 
 elementary pupils. These positions are shown in Plate III by the 
 letter V, at the beginning of the brackets, which occurs just above the 
 word which was being spoken at the time the measure was taken. 
 These positions, in order through the elementary selection, occurred at 
 the words "kitten" and "wreath" in line 1, "paws" in line 2, "drew" 
 and "box" in line 3, "last" and "head" in line 4, and "wreath" and 
 
 1 C. H. Judd and others, "Reading: Its Nature and Development," Supple- 
 mentary Educational Monographs, Vol. II, No. 4. Chicago: University of Chicago 
 Press, 1918.
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 15 
 
 "couldn't" in line 5. In general, the measure was taken at the time 
 the voice was pronouncing the first part of the word. Any variations 
 from this were checked and corrected by means of the dictaphone 
 record. Two of these positions occur at the beginning of a sentence, 
 five within a sentence, and two at the end of a sentence. Also, three 
 occur at the beginning of a line, four near the middle of a line, and 
 two at the end of a line. The location of the positions of measurement 
 in this way makes possible not only an analysis of the eye-voice span 
 by positions, but also makes a uniform distribution from which the 
 average span can be regarded as representative of the paragraph as a 
 whole. 
 
 Plate IV gives a typical reading by a high-school pupil. The plate 
 shows the oral reading of Subject H2, a good reader from the freshman 
 class. The method of indicating fixation and eye-voice span is the 
 same as just described for Plate III. In this paragraph eight positions- 
 were selected for measuring the eye-voice span. These positions, in 
 order through the paragraph, occurred at the word "two" in line 1, 
 "scattered" in line 2, "read" in line 4, "few" in line 6, "obvious" in 
 line 8, "complex" in line 9, "least" in line 10, and "consciousness" in 
 line 12. Two positions occurred at the beginning of a sentence, three 
 within a sentence, and three at or near the end of a sentence. The 
 positions are also distributed according to position in the line. 
 
 A question may arise here whether an average eye-voice span, com- 
 puted from eight or nine positions in a paragraph, is an adequate measure 
 of the general character of the span for every word in the whole para- 
 graph. In chapter iii of this report, a complete analysis showing the 
 eye-voice span at every word and every fixation in the selection will be 
 given, and a comparison will be made with the results obtained from 
 the eight and nine position measures. The comparison shows a small 
 variation in the average span obtained by the two methods. 
 
 Table of general data.- — In Table I the general data for all subjects 
 are shown. The elementary subjects' numbers are given the prefix E, 
 the high-school subjects H, and the adult college students A. The 
 table gives the subject number, school grade, quality of reading, average 
 eye-voice span, average variation from the average, average number of 
 fixations per line, average number of regressive movements per line, 
 and rate of reading in number of words read per second. This table 
 is intended only for general reference, summaries being given in later 
 tables. It is analyzed in detail throughout the remainder of this 
 chapter.
 
 i6 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 TABLE I 
 General Data for Oral Reading — All Subjects" 
 
 Subject 
 
 Ei. 
 E2. 
 E 3 . 
 E 4 . 
 
 Es- 
 
 E6. 
 E 7 . 
 E8. 
 
 Eg.. 
 Eio. 
 En. 
 E12. 
 
 El 3 . 
 
 EI4. 
 
 Eis. 
 E16. 
 
 E17. 
 E18. 
 E19. 
 E20. 
 
 E21. 
 E22. 
 E23. 
 E24. 
 
 Hi.. 
 H2.. 
 H 3 .. 
 H 4 .. 
 H S .. 
 H6. . 
 
 H 7 .. 
 H8.. 
 Hg.. 
 Hio. 
 Hn. 
 H12. 
 
 H13. 
 H14. 
 His. 
 H16. 
 H17. 
 H18. 
 
 H19. 
 H20. 
 H21. 
 H22. 
 H23. 
 H24. 
 
 Ai. 
 A2. 
 A3. 
 A 4 . 
 As. 
 A6. 
 
 Grade 
 
 II 
 II 
 II 
 II 
 
 III 
 
 III 
 III 
 III 
 
 IV 
 IV 
 IV 
 IV 
 
 V 
 V 
 
 V 
 V 
 
 VI 
 VI 
 VI 
 
 VI 
 
 VII 
 
 VII 
 VII 
 VII 
 
 F 
 
 F 
 F 
 F 
 F 
 F 
 
 So 
 So 
 So 
 So 
 So 
 So 
 
 J 
 J 
 J 
 J 
 J 
 J 
 
 Se 
 Se 
 Se 
 Se 
 Se 
 Se 
 
 C 
 
 c 
 c 
 c 
 c 
 c 
 
 Quality 
 
 G 
 G 
 P 
 P 
 
 G 
 G 
 P 
 P 
 
 G 
 G 
 P 
 P 
 
 G 
 G 
 P 
 P 
 
 G 
 G 
 P 
 P 
 
 G 
 G 
 P 
 P 
 
 G 
 G 
 G 
 P 
 P 
 P 
 
 G 
 G 
 G 
 P 
 P 
 P 
 
 G 
 G 
 G 
 P 
 P 
 P 
 
 G 
 G 
 G 
 P 
 
 P 
 P 
 
 P 
 P 
 P 
 G 
 G 
 G 
 
 Average 
 
 Eye-Voice 
 
 Span 
 
 11. 8 
 
 10.3 
 
 3-4 
 
 7-4 
 
 II .1 
 16.6 
 
 4.0 
 8.2 
 
 19.7 
 
 13.9 
 
 12.4 
 
 7.0 
 
 14.9 
 8.9 
 8.0 
 
 14.4 
 
 12.0 
 19.7 
 n. 4 
 
 7-3 
 
 19.8 
 
 14.2 
 
 13-3 
 10. o 
 12.0 
 12.4 
 
 12.0 
 
 15.5 
 16.0 
 14. 1 
 9.6 
 13.8 
 
 13.8 
 
 17.7 
 
 12.3 
 
 8.5 
 
 7 
 5 
 
 4 
 II 
 
 12 
 
 23 
 12. 
 
 13 
 
 IO, 
 
 12. 
 
 12.2 
 9-3 
 13.6 
 17.8 
 20.3 
 18.6 
 
 Average 
 Variation 
 
 2-5 
 3-9 
 1.1 
 
 4-1 
 
 2.8 
 2.6 
 2.8 
 3-6 
 
 5-o 
 7-5 
 1.4 
 
 2-3 
 
 3-3 
 5-° 
 4.8 
 
 2.6 
 
 4-1 
 
 4-4 
 1-5 
 2.S 
 
 4-3 
 3-4 
 
 4.2 
 
 2-3 
 
 4-6 
 1-5 
 l.i 
 0.7 
 2.0 
 3-5 
 
 5-2 
 5-o 
 4-7 
 3-3 
 2.S 
 2.0 
 
 2.9 
 
 4-2 
 
 1.9 
 
 2.4 
 
 2.0 
 °-5 
 
 1 . 1 
 
 4-4 
 3-7 
 4-3 
 0.9 
 1.8 
 
 Average 
 Number 
 Fixations 
 per Line 
 
 10. s 
 
 9.0 
 
 18.6 
 
 12.0 
 
 9-4 
 
 9.0 
 
 19.7 
 
 14.0 
 
 7 
 
 7 
 
 n 
 
 9 
 
 6 
 
 9 
 
 9 
 
 II, 
 
 8.4 
 7.0 
 9-4 
 7.0 
 
 8.2 
 
 7-6 
 
 8.4 
 
 12.2 
 
 7-7 
 
 9.6 
 
 7-9 
 
 10. o 
 
 10.5 
 
 n. 9 
 
 8.3 
 8.1 
 7.2 
 8.3 
 9.2 
 
 8.3 
 
 6.4 
 
 8.1 
 
 10.9 
 
 9.8 
 
 9-3 
 10.7 
 
 7-4 
 
 9.9 
 
 9.9 
 
 10.7 
 
 10.7 
 7-S 
 
 8.3 
 9-7 
 8.9 
 9.0 
 9-2 
 6.4 
 
 Average 
 
 Number 
 
 Regressive 
 
 Movements 
 
 per Line 
 
 1 .1 
 3-i 
 5-5 
 2.6 
 
 1 .0 
 1 .2 
 1 .2 
 1.4 
 
 1.6 
 1-4 
 1.2 
 3-2 
 
 2.0 
 1.4 
 2.0 
 I .2 
 
 O.8 
 I .O 
 
 1.8 
 3-° 
 
 2.1 
 1 .0 
 
 1-4 
 2.2 
 1.9 
 2.4 
 
 1-5 
 1.6 
 
 0.2 
 
 1-5 
 1.4 
 1-3 
 
 0.4 
 1.6 
 
 2.3 
 1.2 
 
 2.0 
 0.9 
 
 0.2 
 
 1-3 
 0.7 
 3-2 
 1 . 2 
 1-5 
 
 1-4 
 1 .0 
 
 1-3 
 
 2.0 
 
 2.5 
 0.4 
 
 Rate of 
 
 Words 
 
 per Second 
 
 2.5 
 
 2.5 
 
 0.3 
 
 1.0 
 
 2.2 
 3-6 
 2.1 
 2.3 
 
 3-3 
 
 4.0 
 
 1-3 
 
 3-4 
 
 3-7 
 2.5 
 2.8 
 
 3-4 
 
 3-7 
 4.0 
 3-2 
 2.0 
 
 4.2 
 3-5 
 3.1 
 2.9 
 
 39 
 33 
 4-4 
 2-9 
 3-6 
 3-4 
 
 3-9 
 3-5 
 3-9 
 
 4-4 
 3-6 
 3-9 
 
 4-6 
 4.2 
 3-2 
 4-5 
 3-3 
 3-7 
 
 4-3 
 4.8 
 
 3-4 
 3-7 
 3-4 
 3-9 
 
 3-6 
 39 
 
 3-9 
 
 4-4 
 4.2 
 3-6 
 
 * Lines s and 6 omitted in high-school and adult averages. G = Good; P=Poor.
 
 THE EYE- VOICE SPAN 
 
 17 
 
 ANALYSIS OF EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 An interpretation of the significance of the variations in eye-voice 
 span can best be made by studying the relationships between these 
 variations and other known factors of the reading process. A large 
 amount of valuable information has been developed in recent years 
 concerning reading rate and quality, and the characteristics of eye- 
 movements and fixations. A correlation of the eye-voice span with 
 some of the known factors will determine which types of eye-voice 
 separation are indicative of mature and of immature reading habits. 
 Accordingly, an analysis of the eye-voice span will be made showing 
 correlations (a) with quality of reading throughout the school period, 
 (b) with various positions in the sentence, (c) with reading rate, (d) with 
 the number of fixations, and (e) with regressive movements. After 
 such an analysis the significance of the eye-voice span can be more 
 definitely stated. 
 
 Relation to quality of reading throughout the school grades. — The sub- 
 jects for this experiment were carefully selected, as stated in an earlier 
 paragraph, on the basis of quality of reading, making two equal groups, 
 one composed of good readers and the other of poor readers. By com- 
 paring the average eye-voice spans of these two groups the correlation 
 with quality of reading becomes apparent. The subjects were also 
 selected from each elementary grade above the second and from each 
 high-school class. The purpose of this method of selection was to make 
 possible a study of the development of the eye-voice span through the 
 grades. Table II shows the average eye-voice span of twenty-four 
 
 TABLE II 
 
 Average Eye-Voice Span by Grades — Elementary Subjects 
 
 Subjects 
 
 Grade 
 
 Average 
 
 II 
 
 III 
 
 IV 
 
 .V 
 
 VI 
 
 VII 
 
 for All 
 Grades 
 
 Good readers 
 
 Poor readers 
 
 Good and poor . . . 
 
 11 .0 
 
 5-4 
 8.2 
 
 13.2 
 10.3 
 11. 8 
 
 13-9 
 
 6.1 
 
 10. 
 
 16.8 
 9-7 
 
 11. 9 
 11. 2 
 11. 6 
 
 15-9 
 
 9-4 
 
 12.7 
 
 13-8 
 
 8.7 
 
 H-3 
 
 elementary pupils by school grades and also by quality of reading. 
 Figure 1 expresses the same facts graphically. The table shows the 
 average eye-voice span for all the good readers to be 13 .8 letter-spaces, 
 for the poor readers 8 . 7 letter-spaces, and for the whole group of 24 
 pupils taken together 11. 3 letter-spaces. The superiority of the good
 
 i8 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 readers in width of eye-voice span is very great, the average for all 
 grades being 58 per cent wider than that of the poor readers. The 
 average span of the good readers is also wider than that of the poor 
 readers in every grade, being greater by 103 per cent in the second 
 grade, 28 per cent in the third grade, 127 per cent in the fourth grade, 
 73 per cent in the fifth, 6 per cent in the sixth, and 69 per cent in the 
 seventh. These results make it perfectly clear that for elementary 
 pupils a wide eye-voice span is a factor of good reading and a narrow 
 
 20 
 
 10 
 
 
 II 
 
 III 
 
 IV 
 
 VI 
 
 VII 
 
 Fig. 1. — Average eye- voice span by grades — elementary subjects. The grades 
 are shown on the horizontal axis. The width of the eye-voice span in letter-spaces 
 is shown on the vertical axis. 
 
 span is a factor of poor reading. Whether this factor is in the nature 
 of a cause or an effect will be considered later. 
 
 A development in the width of the eye-voice span through the 
 grades is also shown by Table II and Figure 1. Following the upper 
 line in Figure 1, for the good readers, the progress shows a general upward 
 direction until the sixth grade is reached, where a sudden drop occurs. 
 This drop is apparently due to a very extreme variation in a single 
 individual rather than to a characteristic of the grade in general. Sub- 
 ject E18, who was a good reader in the sixth grade, had an average 
 eye-voice span which was lower than that of any other good reader,
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 19 
 
 even those in the second grade. The low average of the good readers 
 for this grade is due to this exceptionally narrow span. This subject 
 showed all the other characteristics of a good reader, and no explanation 
 appeared, as far as could be discovered, for the very narrow span except 
 that it was an extreme individual variation. The development of the 
 span through the grades for both good and poor readers was irregular, 
 but a general upward tendency of the line is noticeable. Evidently this 
 development is interfered with in the training of some pupils. 
 
 Plates III and V-XV show the readings of one good and one poor 
 reader from each of the elementary grades. A study of some of these 
 individual records will reveal many characteristic variations in oral 
 reading. Plates V and VI give the readings of a good and a poor reader 
 from the second grade. Subject E2, the good reader, has an average 
 span of 10.3 letter-spaces. The width of the span in the two positions 
 measured in the first line is much narrower than in the positions in the 
 third and fourth lines. Such a variation for a subject, within a selection, 
 is a characteristic in some degree of all readers. Plate VI shows the 
 reading of Subject E3, a second-grade pupil and the poorest reader 
 tested. The whole charactci uf h'i eve-movements is diilerent trom 
 that of E2. The average eye-voice span of E3 is only 3.4 letter-spaces. 
 In the first line for the second word there was no span at all, the eye 
 being fixated upon the word "kitten" at the same time it was being 
 spoken. At the beginning of the fourth line a span of only 3 letter- 
 spaces is found. The dictaphone record showed that this subject did 
 not know all of the words of the selection and had not mastered his 
 phonics sufficiently to help himself. Several words were apparently 
 spelled out before they were pronounced. It is plainly evident that 
 reading for this subject was little more than pronouncing a series of 
 words. He was unable to look ahead of his voice and therefore had no 
 means of grasping the meaning of a sentence in more than word units. 
 This was a very extreme case which should doubtless receive special 
 treatment. 
 
 Plates VII and VIII show the records of a good and a poor reader 
 from the third grade. The good reader, Subject E6, has an average span 
 of 13 . 7 letter-spaces. In line 3 there was a large span of 20 letter-spaces. 
 Subject E7, the poor reader, was a very active and talkative boy when 
 not engaged in reading. He read as if the whole process were a bore to 
 him and gave clear evidence that he did not hold the ability to read 
 well in very high esteem. He had a very difficult time stumbling 
 through the first line, making 29 fixations in the process. His average
 
 20 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 PLATE V 
 
 VI IE 
 
 Vi 
 
 S 
 
 9 » 
 
 The kitten pulled at the veil 
 
 ^E 
 
 
 - 
 
 and 
 
 'I 1 
 
 /* 
 
 *£ 
 
 // i» 3- 
 
 5 * 
 
 o: 
 
 flovrcrs with 
 
 •--" 
 
 ** y 
 
 j 
 
 er cunning paws. "Little 
 
 / 
 i i 
 
 - 
 
 li.tli 
 
 she drcsw 
 
 - 
 
 vr 
 
 At la'st 
 
 31 
 
 7E 
 i 
 I 
 
 L-- 
 
 thf'Ill t<) til 
 
 edge of 
 
 y 
 
 
 tin 
 
 by 
 
 Vr- 
 
 i 
 
 i - 
 
 I 
 box. 
 
 r *-*i 
 
 si 
 
 ie no 
 
 >ked 
 
 ler 
 
 -IE 
 
 i 
 
 7\ 
 
 head right 
 
 th 
 
 ID 
 
 rouah the 
 
 Vi , E 
 
 wreath, but she couldn't *}et 
 
 Vi 
 
 i 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 ■ 
 
 - 
 
 -nE 
 
 i 
 
 X 
 it cnil at 
 
 
 am 
 
 ? y£ 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject Er, good reader, Grade II 
 
 7 -2/
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN* 
 
 21 
 
 PLATE VI 
 
 1 * i I 
 
 V n E 
 
 7 » • 
 S \<o\ ? a i is. 13 "i ' ,S~ 
 
 V| |E 
 
 riip 
 
 1$ I* 1 '* % I'lXl /7 J6 
 
 fen pulled 
 
 " 
 
 ii 
 
 at the veil 
 
 2 ii 
 
 I 
 
 j/6 if in ii 
 
 and wreath 
 
 a-V 
 
 of 
 
 ii 
 
 / 7i ^ ^ /A ii S 13 ? it it> if 
 
 V 
 
 f 
 
 (31 
 
 s 
 
 with 
 
 he 
 
 r m i un;> pav T s 
 
 id 33 « 5/ •**> 
 
 /7 /? '*j '2.0 
 
 J-V 
 
 U. ? 25 </3 ;fr i- c ? 10 I? 7 *■$ ? XL 
 
 Little b\ 
 
 1 .2, / J V 
 
 .'i 
 
 lit 
 
 ■le 
 
 sJ 
 
 It 
 
 drew 
 
 /£ ? £/ i£ 
 
 V, ,E 
 
 ^7?. 6 nn.i ,4. /* /.r 
 
 ■£ i/ *7 ib 
 
 <l> 17 >S 
 
 l,o 
 
 111 
 
 11 
 
 1 
 
 ie 
 
 edge of ihe 
 
 £ ; U«1 « i'l * 6 7<4 y* 
 
 1 
 
 ox. 
 
 /<3 :?.T j" 
 
 V, ,E 
 
 I I, 
 
 I I 
 
 if A 
 
 At 
 
 ast 
 
 die 
 
 > 7 S 
 
 pol 
 
 £ f (, /a. /« ;3 /^ /V /7 /J" 
 
 /S 
 
 4S 
 
 -7 " 
 
 er 
 
 heac 
 
 ri 
 
 > 
 
 1? 
 
 it through the 
 
 10 ' 'J Ijli 2z is it, ¥S 7 i >s -2*- 1 
 
 H*- 
 
 Xf 
 
 y a. 3 1 s 
 
 7 11 9 10 ;t ? /«V (3 /i" /f /4 /7 
 
 wreih, 
 
 but 
 
 sue con 
 
 IJ 3.3, 1 3 10 > S 
 
 d 
 
 11 
 
 ;>et 
 
 
 
 out 
 
 ag 
 
 tun. 
 
 7 n * " <> n 7 & 9 31 13 3.0 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject E3, poor reader, Grade II
 
 22 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 PLATE VII 
 
 
 J 3 
 
 6 S 
 
 Tie kitten pulled at the veil and 
 
 ss- 
 
 10 <? 
 
 wr 
 
 r 
 
 e"ath 
 
 if 
 
 io 13 
 
 I 
 
 JL I 3 \S 
 
 I 
 
 of fl<bwej*s wi 
 
 ¥ * 7 
 
 to 
 
 th ht 
 
 9 7? 
 
 V 
 
 to 
 
 // 13 
 
 cunning paws. Little "by 
 
 . h 
 
 x 
 
 // 
 
 // 
 
 JiX 
 
 Vr 
 
 i 
 
 H l 3 \ 
 
 S 7 9 
 
 E 
 h to 
 
 littl 
 
 sh« 
 
 7 9 
 
 Vr- 
 
 th< 
 
 ]*ew flier i 
 
 /3 
 
 t(> 1 
 
 ue 
 
 ix '* 
 edge oi 
 
 the box. 
 
 S 13 10 
 
 Vi 
 
 * 3 
 
 — E 
 
 i £> 7 9 t\ 6 
 
 At List s.ie Dok 
 
 Led flit 
 
 // 
 
 IX 
 
 7 if 
 
 V 
 
 ad 
 
 (3 *i $ S 
 
 Vi 
 
 |E 
 
 i 
 
 .k 
 
 right through the* 
 
 13 
 
 \ wreath, bu 
 
 s 
 
 he 
 
 I 
 l 
 i 
 
 •ouldii't gcft it 
 
 V ,7*6 
 
 out 
 
 again, 
 
 IS 
 
 ii i a 13 9 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject E6, good reader, Grade III
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 23 
 
 PLATE VIII 
 
 :lii 
 
 t 
 
 1 
 
 '.iii 
 
 titten 
 
 T 
 
 V, ,E 
 
 7 
 
 pilll(>d 
 
 ; it t 
 
 le 
 
 veil 
 
 ar 
 
 v-rc 
 
 ■ath 
 
 13 36 S 6 M 1JIZ31 n fS 43 j, it / (, ,<f ,= iff 3.3~ilS.H i 31 IX. $ If Si ' 5 X.O 
 
 '3 
 
 Vi ,E 
 
 f 3 S x. <t 6 9 7 
 
 d fl 
 
 OI II 3W 
 
 er 
 
 W 
 
 ih 
 
 1 
 
 / // IS. 10 1 /3 /g ih \lS~i7 IL 
 
 I 
 
 paiws. 
 
 3.1 /*? xi H g 3S U 1 if 
 
 Vi 
 
 her cunn iig 
 
 LlttL 
 
 lr, 
 
 'if IC y 35 21 3 yZ 
 
 n 
 
 2 3 H I . / 
 
 little 
 
 sue 
 
 1 
 
 1* 
 
 6 9 S~ $ ! 7 /o 
 
 II 13 iH ix I6~ it /?, 
 
 drew fl < 
 
 111 
 
 tl 
 
 u 
 
 ;/ 3c 
 
 id 
 
 t of 
 
 th 
 
 ( 
 
 EnV 
 
 1 1 
 1 1 
 1 1 
 
 30X. 
 
 IH Z ^?« J ?iV ioxy <i 2Z 7 IX V.T 33- £ 
 
 v, r E v, 
 
 -2- 3 I 1 \S L ? /t 7 \g n ,3, 
 
 At las 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 slid po tdd he 
 
 r 
 
 ri 
 
 eac 
 
 IE 
 
 1 
 
 right through 
 
 J3 3.H I, 10 zt- 7 zi n " 9 if xx 
 
 14 /s- 
 
 thi 
 
 xs 
 
 u 
 
 3/ 
 
 V| lE 
 
 1 
 wreath 
 
 X H 3 \> J- 
 
 *r* 
 
 / but she couldn't get it out agai 
 
 111. 
 
 s?xl zi 10 ,% 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject E7, poor reader, Grade III. (** — end of film)
 
 24 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 eye-voice span was 8 letter-spaces. On the word "box" in the third 
 line his span was reduced to zero. 
 
 Plate IX shows the record of a good reader in the fourth grade. 
 That of the poor reader from this grade was given in Plate III. The 
 good reader, Subject Eq, had an eye-voice span of n.i letter-spaces. 
 His record shows a distinct difference in the length of the span at the 
 ends of the first two sentences, on the words " paws " and "box." These 
 relatively shorter spans on the last word of a sentence are much more 
 noticeable with a good reader than with a poor one. 
 
 Plate X shows the record of a good reader from the fifth grade, 
 who has an exceptionally wide eye-voice span which averages 19.7 
 letter-spaces. When this subject was pronouncing the word "head" 
 in the fourth line, the eye was fixated just after the word "wreath" in 
 the last line, making a span of 26 letter-spaces. Such a wide eye-voice 
 span gives the reader a large opportunity to anticipate and interpret 
 the meaning of the sentence in large units, and allows a much more 
 expressive oral presentation than could be given without such a wide span. 
 
 Plate XI shows the record of a poor reader from this same grade, 
 with an average span of only 7 letter-spaces. A comparison of these 
 two records will readily show the handicap under which a person with 
 a short span reads. 
 
 Plates XIV and XV show the wide variation in the reading of 
 two seventh-grade pupils. Subject E22, in Plate XIV, has an average 
 eye-voice span of 19.7 letter-spaces. The second fixation in the last 
 line of this plate shows a type of eye-movement which occurs frequently 
 in the reading of all subjects. It will be noticed that the first fixation 
 falls upon the first word of the line, while the second appears to fall 
 just before the last word. A careful examination of the film show, 
 that an upward movement of the eye was made between fixations 1 and 2 
 and that the eye was really refixated upon the latter part of the preced- 
 ing line. 
 
 Since the film passed through the camera in the vertical plane, the 
 vertical movements of the eye would not appear directly. The method 
 of determining an upward movement of the eye in this case needs further 
 explanation. The film passed through the camera in a downward 
 direction. A horizontal eye movement from the end of one line to the 
 beginning of the next would appear as an oblique line, due to the fact 
 that the eye moves down to the next line while the film is also moving 
 in the same direction. If the eye moved from one end of a line to the 
 other end of the same line, the degree of obliqueness would be less
 
 THE EYE- VOICE SPAN 
 
 25 
 
 PLATE IX 
 
 3 
 
 • J 
 
 The kitten pulled at 
 
 3- I* 
 
 , 1 
 the 
 
 veil and wreath 
 
 v r- 
 
 1 
 
 10 
 
 n 
 
 a 
 
 10 
 
 1 * 
 
 of 
 
 17 " 
 
 I A. 
 
 3 S 
 
 7 
 
 flowers wi h \ er cunning paws. 
 
 ! ' '■ 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 ix f 10 
 
 ti 
 
 i 3. 
 
 Liitle by 
 
 lit le she 
 
 g >H 
 
 drew 
 
 them to the 
 
 ed^e of the 
 
 >t 
 
 /j- 
 
 Vr- 
 1 
 
 box. 
 
 // is- 
 
 -IE Vr 
 
 -lE V r IE 
 
 7 i' 
 
 3 X 
 
 At last she 
 
 U ! ^~ ^ !* 
 
 poked h ?r head rij|ht 
 
 7 3,7 
 
 I? ? 
 
 through the 
 
 /a S- 
 
 wreath, 
 
 3. 
 but 
 
 3 1 
 
 she 
 
 6 9 
 
 -rE 
 
 1 
 
 cou dn't ge it 3u 
 
 a 
 
 .1 . 
 |ain. 
 
 11 7 $ $ 17 7 'o i'c 17 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject E9, good reader, Grade IV
 
 26 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IX READING 
 
 PLATE X 
 
 Vr— 
 
 .u 
 
 3 S 
 
 The kiten pulled at 
 
 Zo 
 
 9 
 
 E 
 
 -iE Vr- 
 
 tie vel 
 
 and wreath 
 
 Atf /y 
 
 of f 
 
 /v 
 
 Vi — 
 
 r ! <- 
 
 I 
 
 // 
 
 rE 
 
 owe:|*s with hl^r cunning paw^. Lil tie 
 
 f 
 
 13 
 
 * it 
 
 by 
 
 ±H 
 
 V 
 
 I 
 / 
 
 nE V, 
 
 i i 
 
 ,6 
 
 little she drew ihem to the|edg€! of the box. 
 
 /i 
 
 /2_ 
 
 /c 
 
 I 
 At last 
 
 E V r 
 
 ' H 
 
 3 \i L j i" ? 
 
 she poked ner lead right through the 
 
 13 9 i*f xo >H 9 
 
 12. >2L 
 
 wre 
 
 jath, 1 
 
 E 
 
 I 3 
 bl 
 
 it ( — she conk 
 
 n't get it o it again. 
 
 li tf 13 9 % Zi 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject E13, good reader, Grade V
 
 THE EYE- VOICE SPAN 
 
 27 
 
 PLATE XI 
 
 Vr 
 
 3 H 
 
 -rE 
 1 
 
 \S 
 
 Vi 
 
 t 7 % 7 ! 10 
 
 The kitten puled a the vei ar 
 
 d \vr< 
 
 ea 
 
 th 
 
 13 
 
 — iE 
 
 l 
 
 -i o 
 
 <*~ /& 
 
 2-9 
 
 9 is % J-1 11 
 
 l*. 3 
 
 tf 9 S~ 7 i i 13 10 
 
 11 
 
 r 
 01 
 
 flo 
 
 vvers with her 
 
 // 10 
 
 H 10 
 
 e. mining; paws. 
 
 10 1 ? * 19 i 2.0 6 a 
 
 VrnE 
 
 Little 
 
 A ¥ l i" 
 
 I I 
 
 by 
 
 10 
 
 li 
 
 tie 
 
 she drc w thei li 
 
 II 13. I, % 
 
 IE 
 
 *- ' ,3 
 
 13. 
 
 to the edge of the 
 
 V,-- 
 
 1 
 I 
 
 box. 
 
 la- 13 
 
 iS 
 
 * 9 
 
 V| iE 
 
 S-7 Li 
 
 I3J /C 
 
 At 
 
 la!»t she 
 
 po 
 
 L 
 
 ed her head 1 
 
 i^kf through the 
 
 ii 12 * 
 
 1 x t 
 
 9 11 
 
 lt> IS IH 
 
 10 13 
 
 V, ,E 
 
 3 ( 4 
 
 V, ,E 
 
 \nrea h, 
 
 but 
 
 11 
 
 10 )Z % 
 
 I 
 
 6 $ 10 IS. .7 " 13 
 
 ^ouldn' 
 
 get 
 
 t 
 
 out 
 
 again. 
 
 y. % /o 12. * /<? ix. 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject E16, poor reader, Grade V. The mark * in this and following 
 plates indicates that it was impossible to determine with precision the length of the fixation.
 
 28 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 PLATE XII 
 
 I 
 
 Vi — 
 
 The krf 
 
 i 
 
 7 6% 
 
 en pulled « i i the veil and 
 
 Xo 7 
 
 IS 
 
 w 
 
 relit h 
 
 13- J.0 
 
 n io -r 
 
 lE 
 
 5. / 
 
 3 % 7 
 
 ol 
 
 A 
 
 f flowers; with her -uni 
 
 J7 ? 
 
 // 
 
 /* IX- 
 
 rg paws 
 
 LittL 
 
 by 
 
 vr 
 
 ' i * 
 
 little she 
 
 dre 
 
 s\ 
 
 /i i^. L <3 9 // -i /a 2--*- 
 _,£ Vr . 
 
 them to tOie edije oil" the M>x. 
 
 '7 /a. 
 
 "> 
 
 a? 
 
 7 7 * // 
 
 l! 
 
 poked her head :*ight thrquj»h 
 
 fl S % IX 
 
 wreath, 
 
 again. 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject E17, good reader, Grade VI
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 29 
 
 PLATE XIII 
 
 V >E 
 
 A 3 
 
 ' I 
 
 \f 
 
 6 
 
 9 7 to S 
 
 the k 
 
 IS 
 
 itten pulle 
 
 d at the ^eil and wreath 
 
 10 
 
 *° 1.3 
 
 17 10 & II 
 
 Vi \l 
 
 I I 
 
 a j v 1 y \ 7 6 
 
 of lowers with h ?r cunning paws. Iattje by 
 
 /^ 
 
 /o 
 
 31 
 
 /& 
 
 lb 16 17 
 
 3 S 1 i <5 ^ 
 
 * 
 
 /o 
 
 // 
 
 it :le 
 
 7 ■*' g /■/ ? 
 
 she drew t lem <o 
 
 ^ 
 
 he edge of the )ox. 
 
 <? 
 
 Vi iE 
 
 a / 
 
 j 
 
 s- 
 
 A last 
 
 A 
 
 'she Spoked 
 
 // I 9 
 
 13 
 
 her head right 
 
 13 
 
 through the 
 
 *. 1 
 
 V 
 
 3. 1 
 
 3 
 
 
 x\ i 
 
 \ wreath but she couldn't ;>et i 
 
 IS 
 
 10 % 
 
 Oil 
 
 again. 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject E19, poor reader, Grade VI
 
 3° 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 PLATE XIV 
 
 *~ 3 l\ 4 
 
 
 Vr- — 
 
 Thi iik't^n pulled at the veil arid wroa£i 
 
 /6 7 i, L> 
 
 -tE 
 
 •■ 
 
 /<? 
 
 * I 
 
 * *" 
 
 of flowers with her running paws. Liitle 
 
 n 
 
 u 
 
 i% 
 
 * , 7 
 
 4 
 
 i % tt 
 
 little 
 
 she drew tl 
 
 iem to the idge of the 
 
 ? 
 
 S & 7 
 
 box. 
 
 * * 2-3 
 
 3 / 
 
 I 
 
 she pc|kec| her head j*ight tljrough 
 
 At laist 
 
 3 t 
 
 rE 
 
 i 
 wreath, but she 
 
 it 
 
 S 
 
 S 
 
 [idi 
 
 couldnft gejt it out 
 
 zi l> >3 13 10 b * 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject E22, good reader, Grade VII
 
 THE EYE- VOICE SPAN 
 
 31 
 
 PLATE XV 
 
 V| |E 
 
 3 x / L H 
 
 S I? 
 
 Tl 
 
 le 
 
 kitten 
 
 i 7 7 10 9 
 
 IC IX 
 
 pulled at the veil and wreath 
 
 // s 
 
 3.7 
 
 4 6 
 
 11 s-H 6 
 
 Er— iV 
 
 )3 ID 
 
 01 
 
 flowers with her <;un 
 
 IS u 
 
 3 1 
 
 13. 
 
 \" I 
 
 rung 
 
 paws. 
 
 itf 9 b S xi 
 
 /a 9 
 
 iH 
 
 9 
 
 • g 7 
 
 VI iE 
 
 .r 
 
 
 little she drew them 
 
 IS 31 
 
 l» 
 
 XL 
 
 13 I' * 
 
 iH 
 
 3l> 
 
 I 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 ittle by 
 
 Vr- 
 
 to lie ed 
 
 «*v '/,z ? *" /5 
 
 9 16 17 X lS~ 
 
 e 
 
 o 
 
 the box. 
 
 10 
 
 7 7 "i ? 
 
 ~.E V| ,E 
 
 I* l 3 ' f\ 
 At last she poked 
 
 Vr 
 
 E 
 
 ** 
 
 /3 7 
 
 *f 
 
 her head right through the 
 
 IS y 
 
 Vi iE 
 
 1 x I a 
 
 I 
 
 \ wreath but ' 
 
 Ep^iv 
 1- J 
 
 ■r y 
 
 £ 7 
 
 Z 
 
 sh 
 
 e 
 
 couldn't 
 
 !>et i 
 
 out 
 
 again. 
 
 /* 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject E24, poor reader, Grade VII
 
 32 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 because there would be no added drop of the eye to the line below. The 
 movement to the second fixation in the last line of Plate XIV not only 
 failed to show an oblique in the downward direction, but it showed a 
 slight oblique in the upward direction. The only possible explanation 
 is that the eye was raised a little more than was necessary to overcome 
 the downward movement of the film. A careful examination of the 
 film shows that, when compared to the degree of slant of a movement of 
 the eye across the same line, the upward movement in this case is approxi- 
 mately equal to the added downward movement when the eye makes 
 its regular drop from line to line. This would locate the fixation follow- 
 ing the upward oblique on the line above. This is indicated in the plates 
 by a dotted line above the fixation point, showing that a regressive 
 movement was actually made to the preceding line, although it appears 
 at first glance to be a long movement in the forward direction. 
 
 A similar regressive movement is seen in the second fixation of 
 line 3 in Plate XV. Such fixations are sufficiently frequent to indicate 
 that the transition from line to line presents a difficulty to some readers- 
 
 Subject E24, in Plate XV, was an exceedingly poor reader for the 
 seventh grade. In lines 2 and 5 his record shows the curious situation 
 of having the eye behind the voice. In both cases this is due to a 
 regressive movement which occurred as the measure was taken. The 
 reading of this subject was poorer than that of the two better readers 
 in the second grade and his eye-voice span was also narrower. 
 
 The average eye-voice span for the twenty-four high-school subjects 
 is given in Table III. The same facts are expressed graphically in 
 Figure 2. Here again the greater width of the span for the good readers 
 is made clear. In the freshman class the average eye-voice span of 
 the good readers was greater by 37 per cent, in the sophomore class by 
 16 per cent, in the junior class by 74 per cent, and in the senior class 
 by 28 per cent. For the total group of high-school subjects the average 
 span of the good readers exceeds that of the poor readers by 36 per cent. 
 This evidence is in agreement with that from the elementary-school 
 pupils, and clearly shows a high degree of correlation between good 
 reading and a wide eye-voice span. 
 
 The consistent development in the width of the eye-voice span 
 through the high-school grades is not so evident as in the lower grades. 
 The good readers from the freshman class have a wider span than those 
 from the sophomore and junior classes, and one practically equal to 
 that of the senior class. The average span for the poor readers from 
 the junior class is lower than that of any of the other three. These
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 33 
 
 differences may be accounted for by the fact that in high school little 
 attention is given to reading as a special subject of instruction above 
 the freshman year. The freshman class had been undergoing a series 
 of experimental training exercises conducted by the English department. 
 
 TABLE III 
 
 Average Eye-Voice Span by Grades— High-School Subjects* 
 
 Subjects 
 
 Grade 
 
 Average 
 for All 
 Grades 
 
 Freshman 
 
 Sophomore 
 
 Junior 
 
 Senior 
 
 Good readers 
 
 Poor readers 
 
 Good and poor- . . . 
 
 15-8 
 n-5 
 13-7 
 
 14-5 
 12.5 
 13-5 
 
 14.6 
 
 8.2 
 
 11.4 
 
 15-9 
 12.4 
 
 14. 2 
 
 15-2 
 
 II .2 
 13.2 
 
 * Data for lines 5 and 6 not included. 
 
 20 
 
 15 
 
 IO 
 
 
 Freshman 
 
 Fig. 2. 
 
 Sophomore Junior Senior 
 
 -Average eye-voice span by grades — high-school subjects 
 
 This special training probably accounts for the superiority of the pupils 
 in this class. 
 
 Plates IV and XVI-XX show representative readings of high-school 
 subjects. The record of a good reader from the freshman class, with an 
 average span of 14.3 letter-spaces, is given in Plate IV. The span for
 
 34 A STUDY OF THE EYE- VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 this subject is quite regular, showing little variation in any of the eight 
 positions measured. Plate XVI gives the record for a poor reader 
 from the same grade. The average eye-voice span for this reader is 
 12.4 letter-spaces. The last half of the record for a good reader from 
 the junior class is shown in Plate XVII. This subject had an average 
 span of 17.7 letter-spaces. The ease with which he read the sentence 
 in quotations shows that if the words are simple, it is unnecessary to 
 understand the thought in order to read in a normal fashion. This 
 subject certainly had no idea of the way "the original elements of our 
 consciousness grew up," and yet he read the sentence in the same manner 
 in which he read the first four easy lines. A record of a poor reader 
 from the junior class is given in Plate XVIII. The width of the average 
 span for this subject is only 8 . 5 letter-spaces, and shows considerable 
 variation throughout the selection. Plates XIX and XX show the 
 records of a good and a poor reader from the senior class having little 
 difference in the average width of their eye-voice span. 
 
 On the whole there was less difference in the width of span between 
 the good and poor readers in the high school than in the elementary 
 grades. This is to be expected, since even a poor high-school reader 
 does fairly well. The poorest readers of the elementary school are 
 probably eliminated and never reach high school. 
 
 The group of six college students had a development of the eye-voice 
 span beyond that of the high-school group. The average span for the 
 good adult readers is 18.9 letter-spaces, for the poor readers 11. 7 
 letter-spaces, and for the group as a whole 15.3 letter-spaces. The 
 difference between the good and poor readers is again very large. 
 
 The development of the eye-voice span for the entire fifty-four sub- 
 jects is shown in Figure 3. The upper solid line represents the twenty- 
 seven good readers, the lower solid line the twenty-seven poor readers, 
 and the middle broken line the good and poor readers taken together. 
 Following the line for the good readers it will be noticed that the greatest 
 rise in the curve occurs during the second, third, and fourth grades. 
 The average span of the good readers in the fifth grade is wider than 
 that of any other grade. The average span for the fifth-, sixth-, and 
 seventh-grade good readers is 14.9 letter-spaces, while the average for 
 the entire high-school group of good readers is only 15.2. Remember- 
 ing that the average for the sixth grade is abnormally low, owing to 
 the exceptional variation of a single subject, the results seem to indicate 
 that the eye-voice span should be well developed by the end of the 
 fourth grade. They show positively that it is possible for a fifth-grade
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 PLATE X\ I 
 
 35 
 
 V 
 
 I 
 
 (E 
 
 / I? 9 ,o 'i ix. 
 
 I 
 
 /^ /? io 16 & S 
 
 The two men wens seated at.a table upon 
 
 <& 
 
 which 
 
 *7 
 
 /«. 7 
 
 /<? 
 
 -E 
 
 // / 10 2. 
 
 mar y books 
 
 s 
 
 i>\ 
 
 iz 
 
 Sri? ? 3 
 
 and papers werci scattered 
 
 7 7 
 
 'J. 
 
 \7'3 i 
 
 '3 
 
 1 ie 
 
 7*7 At 
 
 * J t * $ ? t, , e 7 
 
 olde^ ma'n turned to \ pa^e in ,i large book ^nd 
 
 !-> 3, to n g so Z i 
 
 /% 
 
 J- I 
 
 V 3 
 
 began to -ead. The 
 
 /-r i*f 
 
 subject 
 
 — i E 
 
 the^ chapter 
 
 12, IS £ 3.JL IS 
 
 * ? 
 
 \VL S 
 
 7 
 
 V 36 ? 
 
 some hing about 
 
 16 
 
 lo 
 
 hypjiEgOj|ic 
 
 to. to 1 1f If 
 
 IZ. £ 13 10 /Jf ii IS 
 
 hallucJna ions 
 
 an 
 
 >(> 
 
 n ii is if is-xi 3o 
 
 -2- H- 3 S L 
 
 hype^aesth ej da . 
 
 vr iE 
 
 / to // 
 
 A fe^ ba£es further on 
 
 /% 10 2-2- 17 is S '3 13 9 q 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject H6, poor reader, freshman 
 
 IL 
 
 he
 
 36 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 PLATE XVII 
 
 / jz- H 3 y 7 t> % 
 
 came to a sentence whim 
 
 h 
 
 17 
 
 readj "Ono £iini|. 
 
 2f 7 * 
 
 E 
 
 i 
 
 ■a- I J 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 \S 
 
 7 
 
 however, is obvious, namely, that the mamer in 
 
 IJL 
 
 IF II 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 n 
 
 which we 
 
 became acquainted wi h complex 
 
 /<? 
 
 // 
 
 /j 
 
 '? 
 
 objects need not 
 
 -2J 
 
 M 
 
 in he leas: resemble th? 
 
 H 
 
 IS 
 
 13 
 
 13 
 
 S 
 
 man: ler in which 
 
 i3 
 
 /o 
 
 3H 
 
 the ordinal €lements of oir 
 
 /g- 
 
 / i 
 
 L * 
 
 i consciousness £ 
 
 rew up. 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject H14, good reader, junior
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 37 
 
 PLATE XVIII 
 
 V 
 
 JL 
 
 iE 
 
 3 H \S 
 
 The two men were 
 
 rf 
 
 seated 
 
 at a ta )le upon which 
 
 9 9 9 
 
 16 
 
 '3 
 
 many books 
 
 >3 
 
 and papers were scattered 
 
 /r 
 
 The 
 
 >*. 
 
 -|E 
 
 !/ 3 y X S 
 
 I I 
 
 older nan tilmed t<|> a pagi in 
 
 % 7 
 
 'S 
 
 [0 II 
 
 i& 
 
 ji 13 7 * f> 
 
 l-L I? 
 
 la. r 
 
 a Iirge book 
 
 and 
 
 V, iE 
 
 i i 
 
 l X\ |3 5 H- 6 
 
 I I 
 
 be^an to read Tie subject of the chapter 
 
 3.1 
 
 jr ix. 
 
 13 
 
 7 it 
 
 was 
 n 
 
 3. 3 
 
 7 L i 
 
 JO 
 
 'i 
 
 something ibout hypnagogic 
 
 /* 
 
 $ z 
 
 A. l ? H S L 
 
 hVbtrhe&thes ia. 
 
 ^ 
 
 7 
 
 hall ucijn anions and 
 
 IH 
 
 U3 
 
 Ao 
 
 Vf 
 
 IE 
 
 IC 
 
 // 
 
 A few pa *es further 
 
 y 10 10 II X * * i ft -Jo 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject Hi6, poor reader, junior 
 
 on he 
 
 49657
 
 38 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 Z i , 3 
 I 
 
 PLATE XIX 
 
 <E 
 
 i 
 
 Jo ,l f /0 
 
 Tie wc men were seated at a table upoi whic 
 
 /z. 
 
 10 
 
 I^L 
 
 13 
 
 V, 
 
 i X 3 <i 
 
 ijaalny blooks and papers were 
 
 n >H 
 
 li 
 
 l 
 
 I 
 
 13 
 
 13 13 
 
 io 
 
 scattered. Th<? 
 
 lo 
 
 Jo 
 
 elder man turned to a page in a large book an 
 
 2 o 
 
 a. X 
 
 "1 
 
 IS. 
 
 V 
 
 3 JL 
 
 ,E 
 
 began vo read. 
 
 f XI 
 
 The subject of the chapter ^vas 
 
 llf 10 
 
 /(, 
 
 // 
 
 3 H S~ I 
 
 hyi] 
 
 
 something about hypnagogic hallucinations and 
 
 'Y 
 
 lo i% Xo " IH 
 
 V| 
 
 XI 
 
 n 
 
 10 
 
 3 H 
 
 S 
 
 hyperaes£ ussia. A few pages 
 
 further on 
 
 ' A 
 
 s ? 
 
 J tf J. 3 is 17 /j lo 'I 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject Hiq, good reader, senior 
 
 16, $
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 39 
 
 PLATE XX 
 
 2- \ I 3 
 
 I 
 
 The two nen were seated 
 
 sr 
 
 at a table upon which 
 
 ii 
 
 is is- 
 
 J.Z 
 
 V 
 
 nany books and papers were 
 
 scattered. Thd 
 
 Z3 
 
 '7 
 
 z? 
 
 I H 
 
 3 f> 
 
 id 
 
 II 
 
 13- 
 
 older 
 
 IB 
 
 ieulil turned to a pade in 
 
 // 9 " 
 
 Z IH 7 
 
 
 10 
 
 >H 
 
 a large book ami 
 
 j~ 
 
 VI tE 
 
 i 
 
 >s 
 
 began 
 
 . ^ 3 
 
 to read. The stibject 
 
 16 9 it). 
 
 6 7 » ? 
 
 of thd chapter wis 
 
 13 ?3~ 
 
 2-X. 
 
 7 s 
 
 £■ J V 3 s i 7 II $ ><> ? 
 
 sclmethrJig abou hypnagogic hallu<binitibns hnd 
 
 /o 13 $ 32. /o 
 
 12. x 19 19 I? 
 
 j 2, i S V I 7 % ii 9 /c 
 
 hyper aesthesia. A tew pages further on he 
 
 Eye-voice span of Subject H24, poor reader, senior
 
 40 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 3 
 < 
 
 a 
 
 -a 
 
 a 
 
 1-1 
 o 
 o 
 
 a. 
 
 3. 3 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 o 
 
 l-J 
 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 O 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 c- 
 
 1-. 
 
 
 o 
 
 Tl 
 
 
 tyj 
 
 0) 
 
 1-1 
 
 
 s 
 
 
 
 rrt 
 
 -o 
 
 
 E 
 
 o 
 o 
 
 
 ,3 
 
 to 
 
 
 c/l 
 
 
 
 aj 
 
 
 
 
 <L> 
 
 .9 
 
 M 
 
 
 1— 1 
 
 u 
 
 
 H- 1 
 
 n, 
 
 
 > 
 
 S3 
 
 15" 
 
 
 1— 1 
 
 3 
 
 
 K* 
 
 Cl- 
 in 
 
 
 > 
 
 "3 
 > 
 
 
 
 >> 
 
 t/J 
 
 
 <u 
 
 H> 
 
 
 
 -a 
 
 > 
 
 o 
 
 rt 
 
 t— 1 
 
 +-> 
 
 U 
 
 
 3 
 
 1-1 
 
 
 4) 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 a 
 
 
 o 
 
 -a 
 
 
 <u 
 
 3 
 
 h- 1 
 
 > 
 
 «S 
 
 HH 
 
 
 T3 
 O 
 
 o 
 to 
 
 
 ro 
 
 ,3 
 
 
 n 
 
 o 
 
 
 M 
 
 -o 
 
 H
 
 THE EYE- VOICE SPAN 41 
 
 reader to maintain an average eye-voice span as wide as the average 
 for any of the school grades above that year. Since the correlation of 
 a wide span with good reading is so clearly shown, it would seem very 
 desirable to give definite training for a wider span in the grades below 
 the fifth. 
 
 The line for the poor readers shows on the whole a gradual rise from 
 the second grade to the end of high school. Variations occur in places, 
 but if the curve were smoothed a general rise would appear. 
 
 The upward rise of the line for the good readers for the first four 
 grades would indicate a possibility of. reaching a maximum eye-voice 
 span during those years, provided specific devices of method for increas- 
 ing the span could be constructed and applied. The other lines of the 
 curve indicate that at present this is not being accomplished for most of 
 the pupils, but that the span develops gradually throughout the whole 
 school period. This increased emphasis upon the eye-voice span during 
 the first four years would seem to be justified for two reasons. The 
 first is that a wide span is a significant factor in oral reading and these 
 are the years in which the oral method is employed. The second is 
 because, as will be shown more fully in chapter iv, the eye-voice span 
 in oral reading is closely related to the recognition of meaning in silent 
 reading, and whatever benefit might be derived from a wide span in oral 
 reading should be made available for silent reading by the end of the 
 fourth grade. 
 
 Regardless of the amount of development through the grades, 
 Figure 3 shows unmistakably that for all grades the good readers have 
 a much wider span than the poor readers. There must be something 
 about a wide eye-voice span which is characteristic of mature reading, 
 and the converse must be true for the narrow span. This matter of the 
 eye-voice span must not be confused with the perception-span. The 
 eye sometimes leads the voice by a distance of several perception-spans. 
 The value of a wide eye-voice span apparently lies in the fact that it 
 allows the mind to grasp and interpret a large meaning unit before the 
 voice must express it. 
 
 Relation of eye-voice span to position in sentence. — If the width of 
 the eye-voice span of a single subject is measured at several positions 
 in a selection, it will be found to show considerable variation from 
 point to point. C. T. Gray observed this fact in his study but did not 
 attempt to analyze the variations or explain them. In Quanta's study, 
 referred to in the introduction, these variations were also noted, and an 
 explanation proposed in terms of the position of the line. Quantz.
 
 42 A STUDY OF THE EYE- VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 found an average eye- voice span of 7 .4 words at the beginning of a line, 
 5 . 1 words in the middle, and 3 . 8 words at the end of a line. The 
 results of the present study do not agree with those of Quantz. For 
 the fifty-four subjects used, the width of the span at the beginning of 
 the line is 12.7 letter-spaces, in the middle of the line 12 .7, and at the 
 end of the line 10.9. The only point of agreement is that the span is 
 slightly narrower at the end of the line than in other positions. Since 
 an analysis of the variations by position in the line does not afford an 
 adequate explanation as to the reason for the variation, it must be con- 
 cluded that there are other complicating factors. Accordingly, two 
 factors which might complicate the situation were selected for further 
 analysis. The fact that there is a large difference in the width of the 
 span for the good and the poor readers suggested the possibility that 
 quality of reading might be related in some way to the variation in 
 width of span within a selection. Also, the fact that oral reading is 
 modified according to the units of thought expressed suggested that 
 position in the sentence might be a more potent factor than position in 
 the line. Accordingly, a detailed analysis was made of the variation 
 in the width of the eye-voice span by the position in the sentence for 
 the good and poor readers separately, and then for all subjects taken 
 together. 
 
 By referring to Plates III and IV, it will be seen that in the selection 
 used, the eye-voice span was measured in positions at the beginning, 
 middle, and end of the sentences. In the elementary-school selection, 
 the positions where the span was measured were on the following words : 
 
 (1) "kitten," (2) "wreath," (3) "paws," (4) "drew," (5) "box," 
 
 (6) "last," (7) "head," (8) "wreath," (9) "couldn't." For the high- 
 school selection the positions were on these words: (1) "two," 
 
 (2) "scattered," (3) "read," (4) "few," (5) "obvious," (6) "complex," 
 
 (7) "least," (8) "consciousness." In Tables IV and V and in Figures 4 
 and 5, the horizontal series of numbers refer to the positions in the 
 selections in the same serial order as just given. By looking again at 
 Plate III it will be found that for the elementary-school selection posi- 
 tions numbered 1 and 6 occurred at the beginning of sentences, positions 
 2,4, 7, 8, and 9 fell within sentences, and positions 3 and 5 occurred at 
 the end of sentences. For the high-school selections, Plate IV, positions 
 1 and 4 occurred at the beginning, positions 5, 6, and 7 within, and 
 positions 2,3, and 8 at the end of sentences. 
 
 Table IV gives the eye-voice span at each of the positions for the 
 elementary-school subjects. It should be read as follows: Subject Ei, a
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 43 
 
 good reader from the second grade, had an eye-voice span of 18 letter- 
 spaces at the first position, which was at the word "kitten" in the selec- 
 tion. At the second position, which was at the word " wreath," his span 
 was 13 letter-spaces, etc. His average span was 11. 8 letter-spaces, 
 while the average variation among the positions was 2 . 5 letter-spaces. 
 The second half of the table gives the data for the poor readers. The 
 averages for each position are given for both good and poor readers. 
 Figure 4 shows a comparison of these averages graphically, for both 
 good and poor readers. The numbers on the horizontal axis refer to 
 
 20 
 
 15 
 
 10 
 
 a. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 V > 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ■ A 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 e> 
 
 d ^^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 r *■ 
 
 € 
 
 "X 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 B 
 
 w 
 
 E 
 
 W. 
 
 E 
 
 S 
 
 w 
 
 w 
 
 w 
 
 12345678 9 
 
 Fig. 4. — Average eye-voice span by position in sentence — elementary subjects. 
 Position at beginning (B), within (W), and end (E) of sentence shown on horizontal 
 axis. Width of eye-voice span shown on vertical axis. 
 
 the number of the positions in the selection, while the letters B, W, and 
 E are abbreviations for beginning, within, and end of a sentence. The 
 figures on the vertical axis represent the width of the span in letter-spaces. 
 The upper line is that of the good, and the lower line is that of the poor 
 readers. Lines b and d, respectively, give the averages of the good and 
 the poor readers for all positions. 
 
 The most noticeable deviations in the line a, for the good readers, 
 occurred at positions numbers 3 and 5. These are the only positions 
 occurring at the end of sentences. The shortening of the eye-voice 
 span here is relatively very great, and is entirely too pronounced to be 
 accidental. The good readers have evidently found that, for the sake
 
 44 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 of emphasis, a considerable pause must be made at the end of sentences. 
 The time during the pause gives the eye ample opportunity to get 
 ahead and consequently, on the last word before the pause, the eye- 
 voice span is reduced. The relative shortening of the span on the last 
 word of a sentence would therefore indicate an appreciation of the 
 meaning and an attempt to convey it by expressing, through the pause, 
 
 TABLE IV 
 
 Average Eye-Voice Span by Position in Sentence — Elementary Subjects 
 
 Subject 
 
 Ei.. 
 
 Ez.. 
 E 5 .. 
 E6.. 
 Eg.. 
 Eio. 
 E13. 
 E14. 
 
 E17. 
 E18. 
 E21 . 
 E22. 
 
 Grade 
 
 II 
 
 II 
 
 III 
 
 III 
 
 IV 
 
 IV 
 
 V 
 
 V 
 
 VI 
 
 VI 
 
 VII 
 
 VII 
 
 Average 
 
 Average Variation 
 
 E 3 .. 
 
 E 4 .. 
 E 7 .. 
 E8.. 
 En. 
 E12. 
 E15. 
 E16. 
 E19. 
 E20. 
 E23. 
 E24. 
 
 II 
 
 II 
 
 III 
 
 III 
 
 IV 
 
 IV 
 
 V 
 
 V 
 
 VI 
 
 VI 
 
 VII 
 
 VII 
 
 Average 
 
 Average Variation. 
 
 Eye-Voice Span at Positions in Paragraph 
 
 2345678 
 
 18 
 6 
 14 
 is 
 17 
 19 
 20 
 11 
 20 
 10 
 
 17 
 
 15-2 
 
 3-6 
 
 1 
 
 13 
 
 10 
 10 
 
 6 
 11 
 
 9 
 11 
 
 8 
 12 
 
 3 
 
 5 
 
 8.2 
 30 
 
 Good Readers 
 
 13 
 
 S 
 
 IS 
 
 13 
 
 10 
 
 s 
 
 23 
 
 12 .O 
 
 4.8 
 
 12 
 
 IO 
 
 6 
 
 2 
 
 11 
 
 9 
 
 2 
 
 8 
 
 12 
 
 8.3 
 
 3-o 
 
 13 
 12 
 20 
 
 28 
 
 23 
 11 
 21 
 19 
 16 
 
 18. 1 
 
 4-5 
 
 13 
 
 7 
 
 2 
 10 
 21 
 
 8.5 
 4.6 
 
 17 
 19 
 11 
 14 
 25 
 17 
 17 
 17 
 
 13 
 22 
 
 17- 
 
 2. 
 
 16 
 11 
 8 
 20 
 26 
 24 
 12 
 
 20 
 24 
 
 17 .0 
 5-8 
 
 6 
 
 14 
 
 18 
 18 
 13 
 
 14.0 
 4-3 
 
 12 
 12 
 12 
 14 
 18 
 
 7 
 14 
 
 8 
 12 
 20 
 
 12.9 
 2.9 
 
 Poor Readers 
 
 5 
 
 20 
 
 3 
 
 20 
 17 
 
 10.3 
 6.4 
 
 5 
 
 12 
 
 11 
 
 10 
 
 6 
 
 9 
 
 7 
 
 2 
 
 8 
 
 8.2 
 
 2.6 
 
 4 
 3 
 8 
 
 5 
 
 2 
 
 15 
 
 26 
 
 8-3 
 5-4 
 
 12 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 7-5 
 3-2 
 
 9 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 6 
 
 13 
 
 20 
 S 
 
 9-o 
 
 4.2 
 
 13 
 13 
 
 3 
 
 10 
 
 5 
 
 13 
 12 
 
 9-8 
 3-3 
 
 8 
 10 
 
 6 
 11 
 
 15 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 IS 
 
 S 
 
 8 
 
 17 
 
 11 
 
 n. 3 
 3-3 
 
 Average 
 
 11. 8 
 
 103 
 12.7 
 
 13-7 
 11. 1 
 16.6 
 19.7 
 13-9 
 14.9 
 8.9 
 12.0 
 19-7 
 
 13.8 
 
 2.7 
 
 3-4 
 7-4 
 8.0 
 
 12.6 
 4.0 
 8.2 
 
 12.4 
 7.0 
 8.0 
 
 14.4 
 
 11. 4 
 7-3 
 
 Average 
 Variation 
 
 8.7 
 2.7 
 
 3-4 
 
 2.9 
 
 1 .1 
 4.1 
 2.8 
 3.6 
 1-4 
 2-3 
 4.8 
 2.6 
 1-5 
 2.5 
 4.2 
 
 2-3 
 
 0.9 
 
 the fact that a unit of thought had been given. An examination of the 
 record of the poor readers does not indicate any considerable variation 
 in the length of the span at these points. Evidently the eye has travelled 
 right along, the voice has ignored the ending of a unit of thought and 
 has kept its regular distance behind the eye. 
 
 A second point of difference between the good and the poor readers 
 is shown by Figure 4 at those positions falling at the beginning of
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 45 
 
 sentences. Positions numbered 1 and 6 show the width of the eye-voice 
 span at the beginning of two sentences. The line for the good readers 
 shows a wider span than the average, at these points, while that of the 
 poor readers varies from the general average by only a very small 
 amount. This gives evidence that when a good reader begins the 
 reading of a new thought, he allows the eye to proceed for a considerable 
 distance before starting to read. This wide initial span gives him an 
 intelligent grasp of the nature of the selection before beginning to read, 
 and enables him to show a proper interpretation through his oral expres- 
 sion. The line for the poor readers shows that the initial span is no 
 wider than the average. This would prevent the reader from obtain- 
 ing a longer look ahead which is particularly helpful at the beginning 
 of a sentence. 
 
 The line for the poor readers differs from that of the good in that 
 it has only a small variation for all positions. For the poor reader, 
 oral reading is evidently a monotonous process of passing over words 
 without any great attempt to emphasize what is read. The good reader 
 varies his span at different positions in the selection in order to bring 
 about a better emphasis. This is shown in Table IV by the difference 
 in the average variation of the averages for all positions. For the 
 good readers the average variation of the averages is 2 . 9 letter-spaces, 
 while for the poor readers the average variation is 0.9 letter-spaces. 
 The study indicates, therefore, that for elementary-school pupils a 
 variation in the width of the span for different positions is a charac- 
 teristic of good reading more than of poor reading, and that for good 
 readers the span is wider at the beginning of a sentence, a little narrower 
 within a sentence, and much narrower at the end of a sentence. The 
 poor readers show less variation and exhibit a tendency to commence 
 reading as soon as the material is put before them, having a narrower 
 span at the beginning than at those positions within the sentence. 
 These data are very suggestive of a causal relationship between width 
 of eye-voice span and the interpretation of meaning as exhibited by 
 the treatment of a sentence as a unit of thought and the modification 
 of the eye-voice span to fit such a unit. 
 
 The data showing the variation of the span by position in the 
 sentence for the high-school subjects are given in Table V, and are 
 expressed graphically in Figure 5. In general, the results are com- 
 parable with those of the elementary subjects. For the high-school 
 selection, positions numbered 2, 3, and 8 occur at the end of sentences. 
 The line for good readers shows a considerable drop in the eye-voice
 
 4 6 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 span at these points, while the drop for the poor readers is less marked. 
 The positions at the beginning of sentences are numbers i and 4. Here 
 both the good and the poor readers show a span which is wider than 
 the average. The poor readers from the elementary school had a 
 narrower span at the beginning of sentences. Evidently by the time 
 pupils have reached the high school they have learned that a wider 
 
 TABLE V 
 
 Average Eye-Voice Span by Position in Sentence — High- School Subjects 
 
 
 Grade 
 
 Eye-Voice Span at Positions in Paragraph 
 
 
 
 Subject 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 7 
 
 8 
 
 Average 
 
 Average 
 Variation 
 
 
 Good Readers 
 
 
 Hi 
 
 H2 
 
 H3 
 
 H7 
 
 F 
 
 F 
 
 F 
 
 So 
 
 So 
 
 So 
 
 J 
 
 J 
 
 J 
 
 Se 
 
 Se 
 
 Se 
 
 14 
 14 
 
 18 
 15 
 13 
 
 13 
 13 
 
 21 
 10 
 11 
 14 
 10 
 12 
 8 
 
 16 
 12 
 12 
 16 
 17 
 
 25 
 12 
 
 15 
 13 
 
 20 
 15 
 
 32 
 
 15 
 
 21 
 18 
 
 19.9 
 14-3 
 13-3 
 12.0 
 15-5 
 16.0 
 13-8 
 
 4.6 
 
 1.5 
 
 1 .1 
 
 6 
 8 
 
 11 
 23 
 
 6 
 16 
 
 5 • 2 
 
 H8 
 
 Hg 
 
 H13 
 
 26 
 23 
 
 22 
 ir 
 
 8 
 3° 
 
 7 
 
 II 
 14 
 10 
 
 17 
 12 
 11 
 16 
 ,6 
 
 5-0 
 4.7 
 
 
 
 18 
 
 20 
 IS 
 
 7 
 16 
 11 
 14 
 
 2 .0 
 
 H14 
 
 His 
 
 Hig 
 
 H20 
 
 18 
 20 
 
 26 
 10 
 10 
 
 17.7 4-2 
 12.3 1 .g 
 
 14 
 
 17 
 
 12.8 | 3.5 
 23.0 J 7.0 
 12 .0 3 .3 
 
 H21 
 
 13 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Average 
 
 Average Variation.. 
 
 17.2 
 7i 
 
 13-9 
 2.3 
 
 12.5 
 2.3 
 
 159 
 2.2 
 
 15 9 
 
 5-5 
 
 13-5 
 4-3 
 
 19.0 
 5-i 
 
 136 
 
 4-1 
 
 15-2 
 
 2.7 
 
 10. 
 12.0 
 12.4 
 
 14. 1 
 9.6 
 
 13-8 
 8.5 
 4-7 
 H-5 
 13 -9 
 10.8 
 
 1.8 
 
 
 
 
 F 
 
 F 
 
 F 
 
 So 
 
 So 
 
 So 
 
 J 
 
 J 
 
 J 
 
 Se 
 
 Se 
 
 Se 
 
 Poor Readers 
 
 
 H 4 
 
 9 
 
 14 
 16 
 
 11 
 
 18 
 
 11 
 
 3 
 
 15 
 
 13 
 17 
 
 10 
 II 
 
 7 
 
 14 
 
 8 
 
 15 
 12 
 
 5 
 
 12 
 
 9 
 
 9 
 
 11 
 
 11 
 
 9 
 
 19 
 
 14 
 
 8 
 
 15 
 2 
 
 3 
 11 
 22 
 10 
 
 9 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 0.7 
 2.0 
 3-5 
 
 3-3 
 
 2-5 
 2 .0 
 
 2.4 
 2.0 
 
 Hs 
 
 H6 
 
 Hio 
 
 Hn 
 
 H12 
 
 H16 
 
 H17 
 
 H18 
 
 IO 
 
 14 
 16 
 
 13 
 
 15 
 IO 
 
 10 
 12 
 24 
 
 8 
 12 
 
 8 
 10 
 
 14 
 
 13 
 
 6 
 
 15 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 5 
 
 13 
 
 12 
 8 
 
 13 
 9 
 
 15 
 6 
 
 13 
 6 
 
 13 
 6 
 
 2 
 
 H22 
 
 H23 
 
 H24 
 
 18 
 IO 
 
 9 
 9 
 
 15 
 13 
 10 
 
 9 
 II 
 
 14 
 11 
 15 
 
 3-6 
 1.3 
 
 
 
 
 
 Average 
 
 Average Variation. . 
 
 12.7 
 3-3 
 
 10.3 
 2-3 
 
 II . I 
 4-3 
 
 1.3-3 
 2.5 
 
 11. 3 
 
 3-1 
 
 11 .0 
 3° 
 
 10.7 
 1.7 
 
 10. 1 
 
 4.0 
 
 II. 2 
 1-9 
 
 0.8 
 
 
 
 
 span at these positions is desirable and have inhibited the tendency to 
 begin to read as soon as the selection is put before them. The poor 
 readers from the high school look ahead enough to get an idea of the 
 sentence before starting to read. This would be expected, since even 
 a poor reader in the high school reads fairly well, while a poor reader 
 in the elementary school is still in the process of learning to read. The 
 line for the poor readers is more uniform than that of the good readers,
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 47 
 
 as was the case with the elementary subjects. Uniformity for the 
 different positions, however, is evidently an indication that the sentence 
 as a unit of thought is being ignored and that the eye and voice travel 
 along with little regard for the separation of thought into different 
 sentences. 
 
 A summary comparison of the eye-voice span at the different posi- 
 tions in the sentence is given in Table VI, for all subjects. Figure 6 
 presents these same results graphically. The summaries were com- 
 piled by grouping together all positions occurring at the beginning of 
 
 20 
 
 10 
 
 a. 
 
 X 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 V 
 
 
 \ 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 i 
 
 
 , ■ -" 
 
 
 
 
 
 ■ — r 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 B 
 
 E 
 
 E 
 
 B 
 
 W 
 
 w 
 
 W E 
 
 I 2345678 
 
 Fig. 5. — Average eye-voice span by position in sentence — high-school subjects 
 
 sentences in one group, those occurring within the sentence in another, 
 and those falling at the end of a sentence in a third group. The table 
 shows the results of this grouping for the elementary, high-school, and 
 adult subjects separately, and also for all fifty-four subjects together. 
 In each table the results for the good and the poor readers are separated. 
 An examination of these data reveals two conspicuous facts: first, 
 that the width of the eye- voice span is different at various positions in 
 a sentence, and secondly, that the good and poor readers do not exhibit 
 these differences in the same fashion.
 
 4 8 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 The results of the investigation show that for the entire group of 
 fifty-four subjects the eye-voice span is 15.9 letter-spaces at the begin- 
 ning of a sentence, 13.4 spaces within the sentence, and 10.9 spaces 
 at the end. The differences are even more marked in the group of 
 twenty-seven good readers. For this group the average span at the 
 beginning of a sentence is 18.7 letter-spaces, within the sentence 16.5 
 spaces, and at the end 1 1 . 9 spaces. The average span for the good 
 readers at the beginning is greater than the average span within the 
 sentence by 13 per cent and greater than the average at the end of the 
 sentence by 57 per cent. For the poor readers the span at the beginning 
 
 TABLE VI 
 
 Average Eye-Voice Span at the Beginning, Within, and at the End of 
 
 Sentence — All Subjects 
 
 Subjects 
 
 El em cut a ry s ubjccts: 
 
 Good readers 
 
 Poor readers 
 
 Good and poor . . 
 High-school subjects: 
 
 Good readers. . . . 
 
 Poor readers 
 
 Good and poor . . 
 Adult subjects: 
 
 Good readers. . . . 
 
 Poor readers 
 
 Good and poor . . 
 All subjects: 
 
 Good readers .... 
 
 Poor readers 
 
 Good and poor . . 
 
 Beginning of 
 Sentence 
 
 16. I 
 
 8.6 
 
 12.3 
 
 16 
 12 
 14 
 
 23 -5 
 17.7 
 20.6 
 
 18.7 
 131 
 15-9 
 
 Within Sentence 
 
 14.8 
 
 9-5 
 12. 1 
 
 l6. 2 
 II .O 
 I3.6 
 
 18.6 
 IO.8 
 
 14-7 
 
 16.5 
 10.4 
 
 13-4 
 
 End of Sentence 
 
 8.4 
 7-9 
 
 13-3 
 10.5 
 11. 9 
 
 14.0 
 
 "•3 
 
 12.6 
 
 11. 9 
 
 9.9 
 
 10.9 
 
 is greater than the span at the end in all three groups of subjects, and 
 is greater than the span within the sentence for all but the elementary 
 pupils. The evidence is quite conclusive, therefore, that the width of 
 the eye-voice span varies according to the position in the sentence. 
 
 The characteristics of the variations of the eye-voice span at differ- 
 ent positions in the sentence are not the same for good and poor readers. 
 The curve for the good readers shows more regard for thought units, 
 with the highest point always at the beginning and the lowest point 
 always at the end of the sentence. The gross change in the width of 
 the span for the different positions also is greater for the good readers. 
 
 The fact that the eye-voice span varies with the position in the 
 sentence is of considerable significance. If the span varied only with
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 49 
 
 T3 
 C 
 
 <u 
 
 
 
 c 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4= 
 
 
 
 -*-» 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 & 
 
 C/l 
 
 l-c 
 
 
 ■4 
 
 OJ 
 
 
 s~\ 
 
 T-l 
 
 
 m 
 
 a 
 
 n 
 
 ^— ' 
 
 ■V 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 ,c 
 
 W) 
 
 lH 
 
 u 
 
 c 
 
 o 
 
 r/) 
 
 c 
 c 
 
 o 
 
 ,C 
 
 a 
 
 bo 
 
 tt) 
 
 1/1 
 
 X 
 
 
 c 
 
 
 D 
 
 V 
 
 
 -C 
 
 >- 
 
 
 -*-J 
 
 c 
 
 
 
 1> 
 
 — 
 ft) 
 
 
 c 
 
 r, 
 
 
 crt 
 
 
 
 a 
 
 ^~ 
 
 
 t« 
 
 c 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 M 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 o 
 
 1-. 
 
 
 > 
 
 PQ 
 
 
 1) 
 
 
 
 >> 
 
 
 
 u 
 
 
 
 be 
 ed 
 
 T3 
 
 -*-> 
 
 r-t 
 
 C 
 
 £ 
 
 4) 
 
 > 
 < 
 
 4> 
 
 O 
 
 W 
 
 1 
 
 o 
 tin 
 
 
 o 
 
 if) 
 
 
 O 
 
 c 
 
 
 t-i 
 
 0.1 
 
 
 IJh 
 
 lH
 
 
 50 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 the position in the line, as Quantz's study indicated, the determining 
 factors would be entirely mechanical, and would be governed by the 
 printed form of the selection. The control of the span, in that case, 
 would be a matter of the mechanics of book construction, and would 
 be independent of any teaching factor. But if the span varies with 
 the position in the sentence, it is evident that the content of the mean- 
 ing is recognized, and that the eye-voice span is determined by thought 
 units rather than by printed line units. Position in the line may be a 
 minor factor, as the results of this study showed a slightly narrower 
 span at the end of a line, but the differences due to position in the 
 sentence are much greater. 
 
 For all three classes of subjects, there is agreement among the good 
 readers in that a wide eye-voice span occurs at the beginning of a sen- 
 tence. The situation at the beginning of a sentence is different from 
 that of any other position. After one has started to read, the mean- 
 ing of the thought covered will carry him along to some extent, and 
 will enable him to anticipate what is coming. At the beginning of a 
 sentence there is no sequence of words to give one the cue to the content 
 of the new thought. The only way to get this is to look ahead until 
 the meaning of the sentence is partially recognized, and the kind of 
 vocal expression needed is made clear. The good readers recognize 
 this need for a wider span at the outset and inhibit the voice reaction 
 until the eye has gained a considerable lead. The poor readers in the 
 grades above the elementary school have also learned this, but evidently 
 those in the elementary school are not mature enough in reading to 
 recognize any special difficulty at the beginning of a sentence. Instead 
 of making a relatively longer span, they react to the situation by a 
 relatively shorter one. They begin to read as soon as they see the 
 sentence, and have not learned to inhibit their reading until the eye has 
 taken in a larger unit of meaning. This difficulty could be easily cor- 
 rected by a little training in class which would teach the pupils to wait 
 before starting to read until they get a larger unit of thought. 
 
 The evidence of all subjects agrees that there is a shorter span at 
 the end of a sentence. The good readers have a relatively shorter span 
 than the poor readers. The explanation of this shorter span goes back 
 again to the fact that the sentence is the large unit of meaning. When 
 the eye reaches the end of this unit it modifies its movements according 
 to the meaning recognized and the voice catches up before beginning 
 the new thought. In order that the voice shall express the thought 
 clearly, a pause is necessary at the end of the sentence. This pause
 
 THE EYE- VOICE SPAX 51 
 
 gives the eye ample opportunity for a large eye-voice span before it is 
 time to commence the next sentence. A poor reader pays less attention 
 to the sentence as a unit of meaning. This is especially true of younger 
 children who are very immature readers. For them the whole process is a 
 more or less monotonous repetition of words as they are encountered. 
 The eye moves along at a regular rate and the voice follows. The end 
 of a sentence creates no special disturbance for it is passed over with 
 little attention. Consequently there is little change in the eye-voice 
 span. The curve for the poor readers from the elementary school 
 would seem to indicate that some such situation exists. There is little 
 variation in the width of the span for any position in the sentence. If 
 the variation in eye-voice span at the beginning and the end of a sentence 
 makes possible a greater emphasis on meaning, the lack of such a varia- 
 tion may account for the fact that the subjects showing such lack are 
 classed as poor readers. 
 
 Relation of eye-voice span to reading rate. — In the previous sections 
 of this chapter it has been shown that a wide eye-voice span correlates 
 with good reading and also with certain positions in the sentence. 
 Since numerous studies have shown a correlation between quality and 
 rate of reading, it would be of interest to find if the eye-voice span is 
 related to rate in the same way. Accordingly, a study was made of 
 the relation of eye-voice span to reading rate for the subjects in the 
 elementary school, the high school, and for the entire group of subjects 
 taken together. The reading rate of each subject was taken with the 
 same material at the time of the experiment. Comparisons are given 
 both in terms of rate per second and the average eye-voice span. The 
 data for the elementary school are given in Table VII, for the high school 
 in Table VIII, and for all subjects taken together in Table IX. The 
 figures showing the same data are numbered to correspond with the 
 tables. 
 
 Table VII gives the data for the elementary subjects and should be 
 read as follows: Using rate per second as a base, it was found that one 
 subject had a rate falling between o and 0.9 words per second and an 
 eye-voice span of 3.4 letter-spaces, two subjects had rates falling 
 between 1 and 1 . 9 words per second and an average eye-voice span of 
 5 . 7 letter-spaces, nine subjects had rates falling between 2 and 2 . 9 
 words per second and an average span of n .6 spaces, etc. The second 
 part of the table gives the data based upon eye-voice span instead of 
 rate, and should be read: Two subjects had average spans of between 
 3 and 5 letter-spaces and an average rate of 0.8 words per second, six
 
 52 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 TABLE VII 
 
 Relation of Eye- Voice Span to Reading Rate — 
 Elementary Subjects 
 
 Number of 
 Subjects 
 
 Rate of Words 
 per Second 
 
 Average Eye-Voice 
 Span 
 
 By Rate 
 
 I 
 
 0-0.9 
 1-1.9 
 2-2.9 
 
 3-3-9 
 
 4-4.9 
 
 3-4 
 
 5-7 
 
 11. 6 
 
 2 
 
 Q 
 
 
 
 12.6 
 
 T. 
 
 12.5 
 
 
 
 By Eye-Voice Span 
 
 2 
 
 0.8 
 2.6 
 
 3-1 
 2.9 
 
 4.0 
 
 3-6 
 
 3-5 
 6-8 
 9-1 1 
 
 12-14 
 
 15-17 
 18-20 
 
 6 
 
 5 
 
 8 
 
 i 
 
 2 
 
 o 
 0-0.9 1-1.9 2-2. g 3-3.9 4-4.9 3-5 6-8 9-11 12-14 15-17 18-20 
 
 By rate By eye-voice span 
 
 Fig. 7. — Relation of eye- voice span to reading rate — elementary subjects. By 
 rate: words per second shown on horizontal axis; average eye-voice span on vertical 
 axis. By eye-voice span : words per second shown on vertical axis; average eye-voice 
 span on horizontal axis.
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 53 
 
 subjects had spans falling between 6 and 8 letter-spaces and an average 
 rate of 2 . 6 words per second, etc. The tables and figures for the elemen- 
 tary subjects show a high positive correlation between rapid reading and 
 a wide eye- voice span. 
 
 The comparisons for the high-school pupils are given in Table VIII 
 and Figure 8. Here again a positive correlation is shown between 
 rapid reading and a wide span. The reading rates of the high-school 
 subjects are more nearly uniform than those of the elementary school, 
 all falling within the interval between 2 and 4.9 words per second. 
 The second figure showing the relation between rate and eye-voice span, 
 by using the average span for a base, exhibits a very great variation in 
 the average eye-voice spans. The extremes on both ends of the curve 
 are represented by only a single subject and because of this small num- 
 ber of cases the line for the extremes is dotted instead of solid. The 
 curves are not so steep as those for the elementary school because the 
 increase in rate is less during the high-school years. 
 
 Table IX and Figure 9 give the results for the entire group of fifty- 
 four subjects. The evidence here is perfectly clear that a wide eye-voice 
 span is a characteristic of rapid readers for subjects of all grades of 
 advancement from the second grade of the elementary school to the 
 college. 
 
 It has been shown in the first part of this chapter that some good 
 readers in the fifth grade have an eye-voice span as wide as many high- 
 school pupils. If it is possible to develop a wide eye-voice span in the 
 first four years of school it would be an aid not only to quality of reading 
 but also to rate. A training experiment, with this aim in view, for 
 pupils in the second, third, and fourth grades, would furnish an interest- 
 ing problem for further research. 
 
 The fact that a wide eye-voice span provides a larger unit of reading 
 material which can be covered by the eye before the voice reaches it 
 makes possible a more rapid oral presentation of the unit without failing 
 to give each word its proper emphasis. The total time for reading such 
 a unit may be reduced by rapid reading, without changing the relative 
 amount of time given to its parts for the sake of proper expression. 
 This cannot be done, however, unless the eye-voice span is wide enough 
 to provide a large unit of meaning. Rapid reading without a corres- 
 pondingly wide eye-voice span would be a monotonous or "sing-song" 
 pronunciation of words. 
 
 Relation of eye-voice span to number of fixations. — An examination of 
 plates giving the records of eye-movement will show that the number
 
 54 
 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 TABLE VIII 
 Relation of Eye- Voice Span to Reading Rate — High- 
 School Subjects 
 
 
 Number of 
 Subjects 
 
 Rate in Words 
 per Second 
 
 Average Eye-Voice 
 Span 
 
 
 By Rate 
 
 I 
 
 2-2.9 
 
 3-3-9 
 4-4.9 
 
 
 10. 
 
 16 
 
 12.6 
 
 
 14.6 
 
 
 
 
 By Eye-Voice Span 
 
 i . 
 
 3. T. 
 
 
 3-5 
 
 6-8 
 
 9-1 1 
 
 12-14 
 
 15-17 
 18-20 
 
 i . 
 4- 
 14 
 
 2. 
 1 . 
 
 
 4 
 3 
 3 
 
 4 
 3 
 4 
 
 5 
 4 
 8 
 
 
 9 
 
 8 
 
 1 . 
 
 
 21-23 
 
 
 
 ON 
 
 IO 
 
 00 
 
 H 
 
 -i- 
 
 r*» 
 
 
 
 <o 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 fcH 
 
 M 
 
 H 
 
 <N 
 
 IN 
 
 ^ 
 
 -+ 
 
 CO 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 | 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 ON 
 
 CI 
 
 10 
 
 00 
 
 l-H 
 
 ro 
 
 "t 
 
 
 
 
 M 
 
 n 
 
 
 CN1 
 
 By rate By eye-voice span 
 
 Fig. 8. — Relation of eye-voice span to reading rate — high-school subjects. By 
 rate: words per second shown on horizontal axis; average eye-voice span on vertical 
 axis. By eye-voice span: words per second shown on vertical axis; average eye-voice 
 span on horizontal axis.
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 55 
 
 TABLE LX 
 
 Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Reading Rate — All 
 
 Subjects 
 
 Number of 
 Subjects 
 
 Rate of Words 
 per Second 
 
 Average Eye-Voice 
 Spam 
 
 By rate By eye-voice span 
 
 Fig. 9. — Relation of eye- voice span to reading rate — all subjects. By rate: words 
 per second shown on horizontal axis; average eye-voice span on vertical axis. By 
 «ye-voice span: words per second shown on vertical axis; average eye-voice span on 
 horizontal axis.
 
 56 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 of fixation pauses per line varies from subject to subject. Table X 
 gives the relation of the width of the eye-voice span to the number of 
 fixations per line, both by eye-voice span and by number of fixations. 
 This table using eye-voice span as a base should be read as follows: 
 Three subjects had an average eye-voice span of from 3 to 5 letter- 
 spaces with an average of 13 fixations per line; seven subjects had an 
 average span of 6 to 8 letter-spaces with an average of 12 fixations per 
 line, etc. The second table is read in the same manner using the aver- 
 age number of fixations per line as a base. Figure 10 gives a graphic 
 
 TABLE X 
 
 Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Average Number of Fixa- 
 tions per Line — All Subjects* 
 
 
 Number of 
 Subjects 
 
 Average Eye-Voice 
 
 Span 
 
 Number of 
 Fixations 
 
 
 
 
 
 By Eye-Voice Span 
 
 3- 
 
 7- 
 
 
 3-5 
 6-8 
 
 13 
 12 
 
 
 
 
 10. 
 
 
 9-1 1 
 
 9 
 
 3 
 
 24- 
 
 
 12-14 
 
 9 
 
 
 
 4- 
 
 
 15-17 
 
 7 
 
 9 
 
 5- 
 
 
 18-20 
 
 7 
 
 5 
 
 1 . 
 
 
 21-23 
 
 9 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 By Number of Fixations 
 
 13- 
 
 26. 
 
 151 
 12.8 
 
 6-7 
 8-9 
 
 10. 
 
 
 ii-S 
 
 7-3 
 12. s 
 
 5-7 
 
 10-11 
 
 2 
 
 12-n 
 
 1 
 
 14-15 
 i6-ud 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 * Lines 5 and 6 in high-school selection omitted. 
 
 representation of the same data. The dotted lines at the right of each 
 curve indicate that a limited number of subjects occurs at the extremes, 
 and that the variation in the general form of the curve is not a charac- 
 teristic of the subjects as a group. In each case the break in the general 
 form of the curve is caused by a single subject. 
 
 The curves indicate a negative correlation between the width of the 
 eye-voice span and the number of fixations per line. As the size of the 
 span increases the number of fixations decreases. All of the previous 
 studies of eye-movement have shown that a small number of fixations 
 per line is a characteristic of good readers. Consequently it would be
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 57 
 
 expected that the kind of correlation shown by Figure 10 would exist. 
 An experiment attempting to reduce the number of fixations per line 
 by training for a wider eye-voice span might give some interesting 
 results. 
 
 Relation of eye-voice span to regressive movements. — One of the charac- 
 teristic features of both oral and silent reading is that the eye fixations 
 do not progress continuously across a line, but that their progress is 
 
 20 
 
 10 
 
 00 
 
 M 
 
 "* 
 
 r^ 
 
 O 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1— 1 
 
 M 
 
 h- 1 
 
 <N 
 
 00 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 0> 
 
 <N 
 
 V> 
 
 00 
 
 <^0 
 I 
 
 Fig. 10. — Relation of eye-voice span to average number of fixations per line — all 
 subjects. By eye-voice span: average eye-voice span shown on horizontal axis; 
 average number fixations per line on vertical axis. By number of fixations: average 
 number of fixations per line on horizontal axis; average eye-voice span on vertical axis. 
 
 interrupted from time to time by backward or regressive movements. 
 The number and length of these regressive movements varies with differ- 
 ent subjects, but they are found on the records of all readers. The 
 backward movement of the eye is evidence that the reader has not 
 grasped the entire meaning of the words which the eye has passed over 
 and that a second fixation is needed. 
 
 It would be expected that subjects having a wide eye-voice span 
 would be able to get the meaning of a sentence with fewer regressive
 
 58 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 movements than those keeping the eye and voice close together. Accord- 
 ingly, a study was made of the relation of the eye- voice span to the num- 
 ber of regressive movements per line. The results appear in Table XI. 
 No consistent relationship is shown by this table, except that the sub- 
 jects having the largest number of regressive movements have a some- 
 what narrower span. 
 
 The fact that no correlation was made apparent by this method of 
 comparison indicates that either none existed or that complicating 
 factors were off-setting each other. If the plates reproduced in the first 
 part of this chapter are studied, it will be seen that there are different 
 kinds of regressive movements. 
 
 Plates VI and VII will serve to illustrate these different types of 
 regressive movements. Plate VI shows that this reader makes a great 
 
 TABLE XI 
 
 Relation of Eye- Voice Span to Number of Regressive 
 Movements per Line 
 
 Number of Subjects 
 
 7 
 29 
 IO 
 6 
 o 
 2 
 
 Average 
 
 Xumber 
 
 Regressive 
 per 
 
 M 
 Li 
 
 ovemeiits 
 ne 
 
 O 
 
 -O 
 
 9 
 
 I- 
 
 -I 
 
 9 
 
 2~ 
 
 -2 
 
 9 
 
 3" 
 
 "3 
 
 9 
 
 4" 
 
 "4 
 
 9 
 
 5" 
 
 "5 
 
 9 
 
 Average Eye-Voice 
 Span 
 
 12.9 
 
 12.8 
 
 13.2 
 
 10. o 
 
 many regressive movements, averaging 5.8 per line. If the serial order 
 of the fixations is followed it will be observed that there is a continual 
 forward and backward movement all along the line. Of the first 10 
 fixations in the first line 5 are preceded by regressive movements. 
 Eleven fixations with 5 regressive movements are required to recognize 
 the first three words. The cause of such regressive movements is not 
 that the eye passes over words too rapidly and returns to observe some 
 part which has been overlooked, but a general confusion and inability 
 to recognize the words after the eye has seen them. This kind of 
 regressive movement is the mark of very poor reading ability. 
 
 Plate VII shows the record of a subject who also has a large number 
 of regressive movements, averaging 3 . 1 per line. It is plainly evident, 
 however, that these backward movements are of an entirely different 
 type from those in Plate VI. In the first line the movement from
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN" 59 
 
 fixation 5 to fixation 6 is in the backward direction. The reason for 
 this appears to be that the eye has attempted too much in trying to 
 finish the line by one fixation after number 4. It risked a long jump, 
 failed to grasp the entire meaning, and moved back to pick up the part 
 missed. Good reading demands that the jump from fixation to fixation 
 be as long as possible. This reader attempts very long eye-movements " 
 all through the selection. Occasionally he fails to grasp as much as the 
 eye covers and the eye must make a regressive movement to recover 
 the words missed. In such a situation, a regressive movement is a 
 characteristic of good rather than of poor reading. It is just the opposite 
 of the practice of the reader shown in Plate VI. For him, the regres- 
 sive movements were not the result of attempting too long an eye- 
 movement, but were caused by the necessity of seeing every detail of 
 a word before being able to recognize it. The important facts about 
 regressive movements are neither their number nor their length, but are ) 
 rather concerned with the eye-movements which precede them. A 
 study of regressive movements must, therefore, be based upon the 
 preceding eye-movements. Subject E6, shown in Plate VII, made 16 
 regressive movements. Of these, nine followed eye-movements of 
 more than ordinary length, being in terms of letter-spaces: 9-9-1 1-1 2- 
 13-15-16-16 and 20. Backward eye-movements were necessary for 
 this subject because the eye had attempted to cover too long a distance 
 in the preceding movement. But the effort to cover a long distance is 
 certainly desirable and is characteristic of a mature reader. Compare 
 the record of this reader with that of Subject E3, shown in Plate VI. 
 This subject made 29 regressive movements, and the ten longest eye- 
 movements preceding them are as follows: 8-6-5-5-4-4-4-4-4 and 3. 
 It cannot be said that this subject needed to make backward move- 
 ments because he attempted too much. His regressive movements 
 were caused by an entirely different reason, and they must be classified 
 as a different type from those of Subject E6. 
 
 Such facts as the above make it clear that regressive movements 
 cannot be treated as if they were all of the same nature. They must 
 be analyzed into their various types and each type treated separately. 
 For the purpose of this study, those regressive movements are most 
 important which are caused by the eye attempting to cover too much 
 and failing in the attempt. It would be expected that a reader having 
 a wide eye-voice span would make a larger proportion of this type of 
 regressive movements than of any other. Accordingly a comparison 
 was made to see what relation existed.
 
 60 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 The records of each of the subjects were studied and the length of 
 each eve-movement-just-preceding-a-regressive-movement was tabu- 
 lated. It was found that, for the elementary subjects, the good readers 
 had an average length of this eye-movement of 8.6 letter-spaces as 
 compared with 5.7 spaces for the poor readers. This led to a further 
 analysis of the material. A tabulation of the average length of the 
 eve-movements-just-preceding-regressive-movements for all fifty-four 
 subjects showed that the median length of these movements was 7 letter- 
 spaces and that the upper quartile included all averages greater than 
 
 8 letter-spaces. Since this analysis is concerned only with regressive 
 movements which are caused by the eye attempting too great a move- 
 ment, the eye-movements falling in this upper quartile, those 9 or more 
 letter-spaces in length, were selected for study. Accordingly, a tabula- 
 tion was made of the percentage of those eye-movements which were 
 
 9 or more letter-spaces in length. Since all of these eye-movements 
 were among the upper 25 per cent of the total in length, the regressive 
 movements following them can be attributed to an attempt to make 
 too long a movement of the eye. A comparison can therefore be made 
 showing the relation of eye-voice span to this particular type of regres- 
 sive movement. 
 
 This comparison is shown by Table XII and Figure n. In this 
 table the first column gives the number of subjects in each division. 
 The second column gives the percentage of eye-movements-just- 
 preceding-regressive-movements 9 or more letter-spaces in length. 
 The third column gives the average eye-voice span for those subjects 
 corresponding to each percentage. The table should be read as follows: 
 There are 16 subjects having from o to 9 per cent of their eye-movements- 
 just-preceding-regressive-movements 9 or more letter-spaces in length, 
 and their average eye-voice span is 10.5 letter-spaces; there are 3 
 subjects having from' 10 to 19 per cent of their eye-movements-just- 
 preceding-regressive-movements 9 or more letter-spaces in length, and 
 their average eye- voice span is 7.9 letter-spaces. Figure 11 shows the 
 data graphically. The dotted part at the upper end of the curve signifies 
 that only a limited number of subjects, one for each position, is repre- 
 sented. The dotted line at the beginning of the curve signifies that the 
 first figure is a complex and needs further analysis. Some of the sub- 
 jects having from o to 9 per cent of their eye-movements-just-preceding- 
 regressive-movements 9 or more letter-spaces in length should not 
 properly be used. There are five good readers having o per cent of 
 these long eye-movements because they have only a few regressive
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 6l 
 
 movements of any kind. These five subjects have an average of less 
 than one regressive movement per line. With this allowance for the 
 first number, the curve is a true representation of the relation of the 
 eye-voice span to the regressive movements caused by too long an eye- 
 movement-just-preceding-a- regressive-movement. 
 
 TABLE XII 
 
 Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Eye-Movemexts-Just- 
 Preceding-Regressive-Moyements — All Subjects 
 
 Number of Subjects 
 
 16 
 3 
 9 
 5 
 
 8 
 6 
 
 5 
 
 i 
 i 
 
 Percentage of Regressive 
 
 Movements Preceded 
 
 lay Very Long 
 
 Eye-Movements 
 
 Average Eye-Voice 
 
 Span 
 
 0-9 
 
 10.5 
 
 10-19 
 
 7-9 
 
 20-29 
 
 IO. 7 
 
 30-39 
 
 n-5 
 
 40-49 
 
 14.9 
 
 5Q-S9 
 60-69 
 
 16.6 
 16.0 
 
 70-79 
 80-89 
 
 13-7 
 13-9 
 
 
 
 0-9 
 
 10-19 
 
 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 
 
 60-69 
 
 70-79 80-89 
 
 Fig. 11. — Relation of eye-voice span to eye-movements-just-preceding-regressive- 
 movements — all subjects. Average eye-voice span on vertical axis. Percentage of 
 very long eye-movements-just-preceding-regressive-movements on horizontal axis.
 
 62 \ STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 This correlation makes it clear that this type of regressive movement 
 is an indication of mature reading habits, and that it is a characteristic 
 of good readers to risk a long eye-movement. It also makes it clear 
 thai the regressive movements of subjects having a wide eye-voice span 
 arc caused in a greater percentage of cases by attempting a long eye- 
 movement, while those regressive movements of subjects having a 
 narrow eye-voice span are caused more often by confusion in reading 
 and other unanalyzed difficulties. In the first case the regressive move- 
 ments are sacrifices made in an effort to use a longer eye-movement; 
 in the second case they are in most instances merely attempts to correct 
 difficulties which should never exist and which are not common among 
 mature readers. 
 
 SUMMARY OF ANALYSIS OF EYE- VOICE SPAN 
 
 The relations of the eye-voice span to other factors of reading as 
 described in this chapter may be summarized as follows: 
 
 i. There is a positive correlation between a wide eye-voice span 
 and mature reading. The average span for good readers is greater than 
 that of poor readers in every school grade. 
 
 2. The development of the eye-voice span through the school period 
 does not show a consistent increase from grade to grade, but is very 
 irregular. The average span for the high school is greater than that of 
 the elementary school. The average span of the adult subjects is 
 greater than that of those from the high school. But some good readers 
 from the elementary school have a span greater than most of the high- 
 school subjects. 
 
 3. The width of the eye-voice span shows little correlation with 
 position in the line, except that the span at the end of a line is slightly 
 narrower. A high correlation is shown between eye-voice span and 
 position in the sentence. The average width of the span at the begin- 
 ning of a sentence is greater than at the end of the sentence by 46 per 
 cent, while the average within the sentence is greater than that at the 
 end by 23 per cent. These percentages are for all fifty-four subjects 
 including both good and poor readers. 
 
 4. A comparison of reading rate with eye-voice span shows that 
 rate of reading and width of eye-voice span increase together. There 
 is a high positive correlation between these two factors of reading. 
 
 5. A negative correlation exists between the eye-voice span and the 
 number of fixations per line. As the span increases in width the num- 
 ber of fixations per line decreases.
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 63 
 
 6. Little correlation is evident between eye-voice span and the 
 number of regressive movements per line. However if the regressive 
 movements are analyzed into their various types, a positive correlation 
 is shown between eye-voice span and that type of regressive move- 
 ments caused by too long a forward sweep of the eye. As the width 
 of the eye-voice span increases, the percentage of regressive move- 
 ments caused by this habit of attempting a long forward movement 
 increases. This type of regressive movements must be- considered as a 
 characteristic of mature reading. 
 
 This study shows that a wide eye-voice span occurs in common 
 with good quality of reading, rapid rate of reading, a small number of 
 fixations per line, and a certain type of regressive movements. All of 
 these qualities may be described as characteristic of a mature reader. 
 It is also evident from the data shown that a narrow eye-voice span 
 occurs with a poor quality of reading, a slow rate, a large number of 
 fixations per line, and a larger percentage of a type of regressive move- 
 ments which are not characteristic of good reading. These qualities 
 may be considered as characteristic of persons whose reading habits are 
 immature. 
 
 The results of the preceding analysis make it very clear that the 
 development of a wide eye-voice span is a significant element in oral 
 reading. As will be shown later, in silent reading a similar meaning- 
 recognition span exists which appears to be closely related, in its develop- 
 ment, to the eye-voice span. Since the width of eye-voice span is a 
 factor of mature reading it should receive very definite attention in 
 methods of teaching reading. However, it is difficult to find any allusion 
 to the subject in any of the method texts or manuals. No evidence 
 can be found that elementary teachers in the public schools give any 
 attention to the problem in their teaching, probably because no specific 
 methods are available for dealing with it. Expert teachers of primary 
 reading have worked out a few devices, based upon rapid scanning of 
 phrases and the use of familiar material, which they use in their own 
 classes, but they say that there is nothing available in the literature of 
 reading methods which deals specifically with training for a wider eye- 
 voice span. It is not the function of this investigation to devise methods 
 of teaching, but it is in place to state that here is a significant factor of 
 reading which is in need of specific training methods. . The problem is 
 to devise methods which will develop a habit of pushing the eye farther 
 ahead of the voice in order that there may be an interpretation of 
 meaning in larger units.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 CONTINUOUS RELATIONSHIP OF EYE AND VOICE 
 
 In the preceding chapter an analysis was made of the characteristics 
 of the eye-voice span at certain positions in the selections used. It is 
 desirable to know the characteristics of the span at every word and 
 every fixation rather than simply at intervals through a paragraph. 
 Such an analysis is of interest for two reasons: first, it shows the con- 
 tinuous relationship of the eye and voice and the manner in which the 
 variations in the width of the span take place, and secondly, it explains 
 in a measure, the behavior of the eye during the very long fixation 
 pauses which occasionally occur. Such an analysis as just described 
 will be presented in this chapter. 
 
 METHOD 
 
 It has been explained that a dictaphone record was taken of the 
 oral reading of each subject at the time the eye-movements were photo- 
 graphed. By means of the electric bell and reversed camera shutter, 
 described in the introduction, it was possible to synchronize the voice 
 with the eye-movement record on the film. By this means the position 
 of the eye and voice at the same instant could be determined at intervals 
 through the reading. These locations were shown in the plates in the 
 preceding chapter. By using these locations as basic points, the rela- 
 tion of the eye and voice at any succeeding point could be determined by 
 measuring equal units of time from these bases. The installation of a 
 special spring motor in the dictaphone, which runs with uniform speed 
 from revolution to revolution, insures accuracy for the voice measure- 
 ment. The measurement of time for the eye is accomplished by adding 
 together the duration of the fixations, while for the voice it is measured 
 by taking the time with a stop-watch from the basic points to each of 
 the following words as they are pronounced on the dictaphone record. 
 This method will be made clear in the next paragraph by reference to a 
 diagram in one of the plates. 
 
 Plate XXI shows the record of Subject Hi, a good reader from the 
 freshman class. The selection has been duplicated in parallel lines in 
 order to show the eye- voice relationship more clearly. The upper line 
 
 6 4
 
 CONTINUOUS RELATIONSHIP OF EVE AND VOICE 65 
 
 of the pairs may be called the eye-line, and shows the position and dura- 
 tion of eye-fixations in the same manner as in all of the preceding plates. 
 The lower line of the pairs may be called the voice-line. The diagonal 
 lines connect the positions of the eye and voice for every fixation. 
 
 In the record shown in Plate XXI, the positions of the eye and voice 
 were synchronized first as the voice was pronouncing the word "two" 
 in line 1. As the voice began to pronounce "two" the eye was fixated 
 on the last letter of the word "were," which is the fifth fixation in the 
 line. These two points may therefore be taken as a base of measure- 
 ment for the determination of the relative positions of the eye and 
 voice at the succeeding words and fixations. It will be observed by 
 reference to the plate, that 34 (20+14) fiftieths of a second elapsed dur- 
 ing fixations 5 and 6. The time on the stop-watch showed that at a 
 point 34 fiftieths of a second after beginning to pronounce "two," the 
 voice had not begun to pronounce the next word, indicating that fixa- 
 tions 5 and 6 were both made during the time used by the voice in 
 reading the word "two." From fixation 5 to the end of fixation 7 a 
 time of 57 (20+14+23) fiftieths of a second elapsed. The record from 
 the stop-watch and the dictaphone showed that during the interval from 
 34 fiftieths of a second to 57 fiftieths, the voice had pronounced the 
 words "men" and "were." By a continuation of this form of analysis, 
 the relative positions of the eye and voice were located for every word 
 and every fixation. 
 
 The accuracy of the dictaphone time record was made possible by 
 the installation of a special motor which runs with constant speed from 
 revolution to revolution. Only a limited number of subjects were 
 given this form of analysis because of the fact that the method is exceed- 
 ingly tedious and time-consuming, and also because such a form of 
 analysis can only be applied to film and dictaphone records which are 
 perfect in every detail. The records of nine subjects are shown in 
 Plates XXI-XXIX. 
 
 EXPLANATION OF TYPICAL PLATES 
 
 The plates may be interpreted either with reference to the eye-line 
 or the voice-line. Arrow heads are inserted for the first few lines of 
 Plate XXI indicating the direction of the eye fixations from the location 
 of the voice. This plate should be read by following the voice-line. 
 While the voice was pronouncing the word "two" the eye was covering 
 fixations 5 and 6, as shown by following the diagonal lines leading from 
 "two." While the voice was pronouncing "men" the eye was located
 
 66 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 V 
 
 The 
 
 The t 
 
 <f /o 
 
 upon wide] 
 
 ma 
 
 older man turied to a pa^e in n lar^e book 
 
 and 
 
 hyperae 
 
 pages further on he 
 
 Continuous eye-voice relationship. Subject Hi 

 
 CONTINUOUS RELATIONSHIP OF EYE AND VOICE 67 
 
 PLATE XX I a 
 
 / S a. 
 
 came |to a sentence 
 
 cam 
 
 7 t, z 
 
 zoTTsciousness grew up. 
 
 PLATE XXI — Continued
 
 68 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 at fixation 7. As the voice was saying "were" the eye was still located 
 at fixation 7. While the voice was pronouncing the word "seated" 
 the eye was fixated at 8. While the voice was saying "at," "a," and 
 the first part of "table," the eye was located at the ninth fixation, but 
 before the voice finished "table" and started on the next word the eye 
 had moved on to fixation 10 in the first line and then to fixations 1, 2, 
 and 3 in the second line. The voice was evidently lagging at this point. 
 As the voice was pronouncing "upon" and the first part of "which," 
 the eye was at the fourth fixation of the second line. While the voice 
 was finishing the word "which" and saying "many books and papers," 
 the eye was held steadily at the fifth fixation in the second line. This 
 fixation was much longer than the average, lasting for 44 fiftieths of a 
 second. The voice moved over all or part of five words during this 
 fixation, making the eye-voice span at the end of the fixation 22 letter- 
 spaces narrower than it was at the beginning. 
 
 All of the plates are to be read in the same manner. The positions 
 of the eye, while the voice is pronouncing any word, may be found by 
 following the diagonal lines leading from that particular word to the 
 eye-fixations. The position of the voice, while the eye is at any fixa- 
 tion, may be likewise determined by following the diagonal lines leading 
 from that particular fixation to the words in the voice-line. The length 
 of the eye-voice span may be found by counting the number of letter- 
 spaces in the interval between the position of the voice and the eye. 
 If the voice moves over more than one word during a single fixation 
 there will be a maximum and a minimum span, with a range between 
 the spans equal to the distance covered by the voice while the eye is 
 stationary. This maximum and minimum span is well illustrated in 
 the second line of Plate XXI. At fixation 5 in this line the eye remained 
 fixated while the voice covered several words. From the position of 
 the voice to that of the eye at the beginning of the fixation there is a 
 span of 36 letter-spaces, while the distance between the voice and the 
 eye at the end of the fixation is only 14 letter-spaces. In this case 
 the maximum span is 36, the minimum span is 14, and the range of 
 the movement of the voice during the fixation is 22 letter-spaces. The 
 average span at this position would be 25 letter-spaces. 
 
 In the third line of Plate XXI an infrequent type of eye-movement 
 occurs which will need explanation. Between the second and fourth 
 fixations in this line the eye made a long sweep to the right, placing 
 the third fixation nearly at the end of the line. An examination of the 
 film will show that there was also an upward movement of the eye,
 
 CONTINUOUS RELATIONSHIP OF EYE AND VOICE 69 
 
 which indicates that instead of fixation 3 being a long look ahead, it 
 was really a regressive movement back to the end of the preceding line. 
 This is indicated in the plate by dotted lines, showing that while this 
 fixation occurred during the series for line 3, it was properly a fixation 
 back upon line 2. This type of movement occurred at intervals in the 
 reading of many of the subjects. 
 
 A comparison of the records in Plates XXI-XXIX will bring out 
 the many variations in eye- voice relationship, and will also show the 
 points of general similarity. The elastic nature of the eye-voice span 
 is clearly indicated and the effect of position in the sentence and line 
 can be observed in detail. The effect of the three difficult words intro- 
 duced in lines 5 and 6 is quite marked, causing an immediate break in 
 the habitual eye-voice relation and reducing the span to nearly zero. 
 
 An opportunity is afforded here to check the validity of the method 
 of computing the average span from a few positions in the selection, as 
 was done in the preceding chapter. A comparison shows that when 
 the average span for every fixation is used, the average span for the 
 selection is a little wider than when computed from the eight or nine 
 positions in the paragraph. For Subjects Hi and Ei, Plates XXI and 
 XXVIII, the average span obtained by using every fixation was 3 . 2 
 letter-spaces longer than when averaged from the nine positions in the 
 paragraph. The reason for this difference is easily explained. The 
 average eye-voice span for the end of a sentence was found to be much 
 narrower than for other points in the selection. For the eight positions 
 used in the elementary-school selection, two were at or near the end of 
 a sentence. The average for the selection, therefore, was influenced by 
 25 per cent of the samples representing eye- voice spans which varied 
 from the average more than did the other 75 per cent. In the whole 
 elementary selection there were only three sentences and consequently 
 only a few words influenced by being in that position. However, 
 there were forty- three words in the entire selection, which very materially 
 reduced the influence which the narrower span, at the end of sentences, 
 would have on the general average. The same would be true for the 
 high-school selection. Since it has been shown that the relative shorten- 
 ing of the span at the end of a sentence is more evident with good than 
 with poor readers, and since both Subjects Hi and Ei are good readers, 
 the error in the averages for the poor readers would be still less than 
 for these two subjects. Whatever small amount of error does exist for 
 the sampling method, it would affect the results of the preceding chapter 
 in only one respect: it would slightly enlarge the difference in the width
 
 7° 
 
 Z. I H 3 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 PLATE XXII 
 JT L 
 
 * 7 
 
 y to 
 
 The twb men we ~e seated at a able upon which 
 
 many books and papers were scattered. 
 
 10 
 
 Thei 
 
 <0 
 
 pages further on be 
 
 Continuous eye-voice relationship, Subject H5
 
 CONTINUOUS RELATIONSHIP OF EYE \\l» VOICE 71 
 
 PLATE XXIII 
 H I 3 S- 1= V 7 9 % /o 
 
 however, s obvious, namely, that the ir 
 
 an tier in 
 
 however, 1 
 
 we became acquainted with complete 
 
 consciousness grew up. 
 
 Continuous eye-voice relationship, Subject H8
 
 \ STUDY OF THE EYE- VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 PLATE XXIV 
 
 i 3 ) ¥ t> s 7 % f 
 
 The two auen Were seated at £ table upon which 
 
 hyperaesthesia. A few pages further on he 
 
 Continuous eye-voice relationship, Subject Hio
 
 CONTINUOUS RELATIONS! [IP OF EYE AND VOICE 7; 
 
 Continuous eye-voice relationship, Subject H22
 
 74 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE- VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 PLATE XXVI 
 
 3. I 3 V S 6 7 $ 
 
 ialme to a spiJtence \|hich j-ead, "One tiling, 
 
 // 7/0 IA. S Jfl-^r^ 
 
 ne thing, 
 
 lA-L 
 
 IS 20 * 
 
 man 
 
 con 
 
 consciousness grew up.' 
 
 Continuous eye-voice relationship, Subject H23
 
 CONTINUOUS RELATIONSHIP OF EYE AND VOICE 
 
 75 
 
 2 i 3 H 
 
 came t<p a sentence 
 
 PLATE XXVII 
 
 <6 * 
 
 ing, 
 
 Wg, 
 
 however, 
 
 0.H II I2L 12. <g 
 
 is obvious, nimely, that tlie manner in 
 
 which ^ve become acquainted ^vith complex 
 
 g, i& 
 
 whi 
 
 plex 
 
 objects need rot in 
 
 the least resemble the 
 
 manner in which tlie original elements of our 
 
 ma 
 
 ents of our 
 
 3 
 
 3w up 
 
 '3 /y H 
 
 consciousness grew up." 
 
 Continuous eye-voice relationship, Subjei I \ ,
 
 76 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 PLATE XXVIII 
 
 3. i t 3 S 
 
 Thd tiltten pulled 
 
 at 
 
 7 // 7 /y io /3 i2- 
 
 The kitten pulled a 
 
 wreath , 
 
 touldn't get it out again. 
 
 Continuous eye-voice relationship, Subject Ei
 
 
 CONTINUOUS RELATIONSHIP OF EYE AND VOH I 
 
 PLATE XXIX 
 / =2- J H 5~ L 7 
 
 The kittem pulled ai the veil and 
 
 77 
 
 couic it out a^ain, 
 
 Continuous eye-voice relationship, Subject E5
 
 78 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 of span which was shown to exist between the good and the poor readers. 
 It would have no influence on the other results since they are all in the 
 nature of relative comparisons and whatever difference exists. would 
 exist for the whole group. 
 
 ELASTIC NATURE OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN 
 
 One of the characteristic features of the eye- voice span is its varia- 
 tion in width from word to word through the selection. The span is 
 sometimes very wide and sometimes narrow, apparently expanding and 
 
 TABLE XIII 
 Elasticity of Eye-Voice Span — Subject Hi 
 
 Line and Fixation 
 Number 
 
 II-I 
 II-2 
 
 H-3 
 
 II-4 
 H-5 
 
 II-6 
 
 III-i 
 
 III-2 
 
 III-3 
 
 III-4 
 
 111-5 
 
 III-6 
 III-7 
 1 1 1-8 
 III-9 
 
 IV-i 
 IV- 2 
 IV-3 
 IV-4 
 IV-5 
 IV-6 
 IV-7 
 
 XI-i 
 
 XI-2 
 
 XI-3 
 XI-4 
 
 xi-.s 
 
 XI-6 
 XI-7 
 
 Maximum Eye- 
 Voice Span 
 
 iS 
 15 
 24 
 32 
 36 
 
 Minimum Eye- 
 Voice Span 
 
 Range of Span 
 
 17 
 14 
 23 
 25 
 13 
 IO 
 
 21 
 
 19 
 
 16 
 
 14 
 
 7 
 
 5 
 
 24 
 
 22 
 
 14 
 
 11 
 
 17 
 
 15 
 
 27 
 
 19 
 
 32 
 
 21 
 
 13 
 
 6 
 
 3° 
 
 29 
 
 24 
 
 11 
 
 21 
 
 12 
 
 24 
 
 10 
 
 24 
 
 23 
 
 26 
 
 23 
 
 25 
 
 17 
 
 44 
 
 34 
 
 4i 
 
 3i 
 
 3'» 
 
 37 
 
 45 
 
 4i 
 
 V 
 
 37 
 
 5 
 
 2 
 
 36 
 
 29 
 
 I 
 I 
 I 
 7 
 23 
 8 
 
 2 
 2 
 2 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 11 
 
 7 
 
 1 
 13 
 
 9 
 14 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 8 
 
 10 
 10 
 2 
 4 
 9 
 3 
 
 Length of Fixation 
 
 12 
 10 
 14 
 9 
 44 
 13 
 
 7 
 7 
 11 
 11 
 11 
 13 
 14 
 15 
 16 
 
 14 
 22 
 20 
 32 
 
 17 
 
 12 
 
 6 
 
 12 
 12 
 
 9 
 
 7 
 14 
 10 
 11 
 
 contracting according to the demands made by the material read. 
 Table XIII shows this elastic nature of the span for four lines of the 
 reading of Subject Hi. This table gives the maximum and the mini- 
 mum eye-voice span, the range, and the duration of the pause for each
 
 CONTINUOUS RELATIONSHIP OF EYE WD VOICE 
 
 fixation in lines 2, 3, 4, and n. In the second line the maximum span 
 is comparatively small, then large and finally small again. In th< 
 fourth line the maximum span is wide for every fixation bul the minimum 
 span shows considerable variation. In line n there is an exceptionally 
 wide maximum span for even- fixation excepl the sixth. The reason for 
 this variation is that fixation 6 makes a long regressive movement which 
 cuts the span nearly to zero. The eye-voice span of this subject -hows 
 an elasticity both within the line and from line to line. The relation 
 of the eye and voice is apparently adjusted according to the 
 demands made upon the reader by the material. As noted in 
 the preceding chapter, the beginning and end of a sentence 
 demand a different type of eye-voice span. There are without doubl 
 other factors which influence the width of the -pan, among which difficult 
 words and difficult meaning would have a place. It has already been 
 shown that the eye-voice span of the immature reader is narrow, while 
 pupils with more mature reading habits have a wider span. An exami- 
 nation of Plates XXI, XXII, XXIV, and XXV show- very clearly 
 that when the difficult words in lines 5 and 6 are encountered the sub- 
 jects who are mature readers return at once to a type of reading whii h 
 can be described as less advanced and keep their eye and voice very 
 close together. The elastic nature of the eye-voice span is very evident 
 when such difficult words are encountered. A more detailed anaylsis 
 of the reaction to difficult words will be given in the latter part of this 
 chapter. 
 
 RELATION OF EYE-VOICE SPAN TO LENGTH 01 FIXATIONS 
 
 An examination of the records of the subjects used in this investi- 
 gation will. show that while the median duration of a fixation pause 
 varies from 9 to 13 fiftieths of a second, there frequently occur fixations 
 which are very much longer. A tabulation of the fixation pauses of 
 nineteen high-school subjects shows an average for each subject of 
 14 fixations which are more than 20 fiftieths of a second in length. 
 The length of these long fixations varies from 20 to 93 fiftieths of a 
 second. This unusual behavior on the part of the eye calls for an 
 explanation. It was thought that an analysis of the continuous rela- 
 tionship of the eye and voice might help to explain the long fixations 
 by showing what the voice w r as doing during those comparatively long 
 intervals. The cause of these long fixations may be due to a number 
 of factors. One possible hypothesis is that a long fixation occurs when 
 the eye reaches too great a distance ahead of the voice, and that the
 
 8o 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE- VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 eye remains fixated until the voice catches up to a convenient position, 
 when the eye moves forward again. In terms of this hypothesis a 
 long fixation would mean a period during which the voice was trying to 
 catch up with the eye. 
 
 In order to test this hypothesis a study was made of the ten longest 
 and ten shortest fixations for each of ten subjects. The average maxi- 
 mum and minimum spans and the range were tabulated for each sub- 
 ject. If the hypothesis were true, the maximum span and the range 
 should be greater for the long fixations than for the short ones. Such 
 a condition would be evidence that, in case of the long fixations, the 
 eye had been leading by too wide a span and that a long fixation was 
 provided for the voice to catch up. The result of the comparison of 
 the fixations of the ten subjects is given in Table XIV. The table 
 
 TABLE XIV 
 Relation of Eye-Voice Span to Length of Fixations 
 
 
 Ten Longest Fixations 
 
 Ten Shortest Fixations 
 
 Subject 
 
 Maximum 
 Span 
 
 Minimum 
 Span 
 
 Range 
 
 Maximum 
 Span 
 
 Minimum 
 Span 
 
 Range 
 
 El 
 
 18.6 
 14.9 
 14. 1 
 27.7 
 18.9 
 
 31-4 
 
 22.8 
 22.5 
 20.8 
 20.4 
 
 II. 9 
 
 8.1 
 
 9-3 
 16.0 
 10. 7 
 21 .6 
 11. 8 
 13-9 
 "•3 
 H-5 
 
 6.7 
 6.8 
 
 4.8 
 11. 7 
 
 8.2 
 
 9.8 
 11 .0 
 
 8.6 
 
 9-5 
 8.9 
 
 15-3 
 16.7 
 13.8 
 29.6 
 17.6 
 
 25-9 
 23.0 
 150 
 18.6 
 20.0 • 
 
 13-4 
 13 -5 
 11. 6 
 
 24-3 
 iS-O 
 22.0 
 19.6 
 12. 2 
 
 15-2 
 17.0 
 
 1.9 
 3-2 
 2.2 
 
 5-3 
 2.6 • 
 
 3-9 
 3-4 
 2.8 
 
 3-4 
 3-° 
 
 ES 
 
 E8 
 
 Hi 
 
 H 5 
 
 H8 
 
 Hio 
 
 H22 
 
 H23 
 
 A3 
 
 Average. . . 
 
 21 . 2 
 
 12.6 
 
 8.6 
 
 19.6 
 
 16.4 
 
 3-2 
 
 should be read as follows: The record of Subject Ei shows, for the 
 ten longest fixations, an average maximum span of 18.6 letter-spaces 
 an average minimum span of 1 1 . 9 letter-spaces, and a range of 6 . 7 
 spaces; and for the ten shortest fixations, a maximum span of 15 . 3 letter- 
 spaces, a minimum span of 13 .4 spaces and a range of 1 .9 spaces. 
 
 The averages for all of the ten subjects do not fully justify the 
 hypothesis. The maximum span for the long fixations is greater than 
 that for the short fixations, but only by a small amount. It is not a 
 satisfactory explanation to say that an average span of 21.2 letter- 
 spaces was so great as to cause a very long fixation, while a span of 19.6
 
 CONTINUOUS RELATIONSHIP OF EYE AND VOICE 81 
 
 letter-spaces was not found inconvenient and was accompanied by the 
 shortest fixations. The difference is not great enough to justify 
 the hypothesis, and the conclusion must be drawn that width of eye- 
 voice span is at least not a large factor in the cause of long fixation-. 
 
 The average range, for all subjects, for the long fixations is 8.6 
 letter-spaces, while for the short fixations it is only 3.2 letter-spaces. 
 This cannot be regarded as an explanation of the cause of the long 
 fixations, but it merely shows that the voice is moving over a greater 
 range during the long pauses. 
 
 The data presented in Table XIV cannot be regarded as sufficient 
 evidence to establish a causal relationship between a long eye-voice 
 span and a long fixation pause. When the span becomes too long for 
 convenience the eye seems to react by a series of short fixations covering 
 small intervals as often as by a single long fixation. The eye is tin- 
 controlling factor rather than the voice, and other factors of perception 
 must operate to lengthen the eye pauses. 
 
 A cue to a possible cause of the long fixations may be found from 
 another source than the eye-voice span. The eye-movements of all 
 high-school subjects were radically modified when the three difficult 
 words in lines 5 and 6 were reached. These words were new to all of 
 the high-school subjects. Two characteristic differences are evident in 
 the behavior of the eye toward these words. The number of fixations 
 is greater and the percentage of long fixations is larger when the difficult 
 words are encountered. 
 
 Plate XXX shows a comparison of the eye-movements of six high- 
 school subjects in reading these three words. The column of numbers 
 at the right of the plate gives the median length of all fixations. The 
 first line of the plate gives the record of Subject Hi. The median 
 length of the fixations of this subject for the whole selection was 12 
 fiftieths of a second. In reading these words 13 of the 17 fixations are 
 longer than the median. Of these 13 fixations, 9 are more than twice 
 as long as the median for the selection. Subject H5, in the next line, 
 makes 23 fixations on the three words, 18 of which are longer than 
 the median. Subject Hio, in the fourth line, makes only 9 fixations of 
 which 6 are greater than the median. Two of these 6 are very long, 
 however, being 67 and 72 fiftieths of a second. 
 
 The results shown by Plate XXX make it char that difficult words 
 are one cause of long fixations. They suggest that an explanation of 
 the occurrence of long fixations may be found in the content of the 
 reading selection. In order to test this possibility, a study was made of
 
 82 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE- VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 PLATE XXX 
 
 ^ ^ U n 9 $ 10 13. 
 
 hi hyina^o.^ic halluoir.ati >ns 
 
 II it a-S iii? '2. 3x *y (. <} 
 10 7 Zrit 9 i a id. IH 'f >3 17 '"* 
 
 Hs i;r]>]ia^o<jio halliuc Lmtions 
 
 JLOX021 711 I) 7 f.3 21 '4/ 3 /i J*j 11 
 
 t h y s- 
 
 9 Z 
 
 /o 
 
 hs hy^ragotvic hallu 
 
 /6 zj 19 ib 
 
 3ina 
 
 ions 
 
 t uj jy XS- 
 
 3 V s C 7 
 
 Hio hy]>i\a?ogic halllticilnations 
 
 ji 9 if 
 
 jv 
 
 IX 
 
 H 2: hypiago^;.3 hallucinations 
 
 /7 ^ /V 
 
 4 £ 7 ? 
 
 .2./ 
 
 /<? // 
 
 /* 
 
 /Z. 
 
 I iu z 3 4T 1 
 
 hy Doraesthesia 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 /fl /? 7 /z 
 
 J 7 // 
 
 // 
 
 : 
 
 39 'H 36, jts/ 9 it 
 Y/3 XJ~ £> 7 2 9 
 
 h.y pernostne 3ia 
 
 liis7 f 32. 31 U 3S- 2 
 
 hyoeries:he3ia 
 
 y.*~ ^v xi" 
 2. i 3 ^ 
 
 hyperesthesia 
 
 7Z 7 3-H *-/ 
 X i i S 3 6 7 
 
 hy :>oraesthosia; 
 /o ji 9 & y f j ? 
 
 3 I X.H 7 S 6 $ 
 
 H23 hypn i;rogic hallucinations hyporaesth 
 
 esia; 
 
 nxm 9 9 h n 17 
 
 Effect of new and difficult words upon eye-movements. Six high-school subjects
 
 CONTINUOUS RELATIONSHIP OF EYE AND VOICE 83 
 
 all fixations which were longer than 20 fiftieths of a second in the records 
 of nineteen subjects. The readings of these nineteen subjects showed a 
 total of 259 fixations which were over 20 fiftieths of a second in length. 
 The selection which these subjects read contained ninety words. If the 
 long fixations simply occurred at random there should be an average of 
 2 .9 for each word in the paragraph. The number and duration of these 
 long fixations, for each word in the selection, are given in Plate XXXI. 
 This plate shows that three of the pauses occurred on the first word, 
 "the," and that their duration was 38, 22, and 30 fiftieths of a second. 
 Only one long fixation occurred on the word "two," three fell on the 
 word "men," two on "were," etc. The point of interest in the plate is 
 that the long fixations are not distributed in a random fashion with 
 2.9 falling on each word, but that they occur much more frequently 
 on certain words than on others. The greatest number of long fixations 
 fall upon the words "hyperesthesia," "hypnagogic," and "hallucina- 
 tions," these words receiving 31, 22, and 16 fixations respectively. 
 Since these are the most difficult words in the paragraph, there can be 
 no doubt that difficulty is one factor causing long fixation pauses. It 
 will be noticed that thirteen words each receive as many as six or more 
 of these long fixations. These words are underlined in the plate. 
 
 If the same cause operates to produce long fixations on all of the 
 words, there must be some point of difficulty connected with the words 
 receiving a larger number of such pauses. The word "consciousness" 
 in the last line and the word "grew" following it appear to present 
 difficulties. This is doubtless due to the fact that "consciousness" is 
 not a common word to high-school pupils, and when used with "grew" 
 it presents an idea which is difficult and unfamiliar. The phrase 
 "objects need not" in the third from the last line presents familiar 
 words in an unfamiliar combination. The whole quoted sentence con- 
 tains a difficult thought, and by the time this phrase is reached the 
 difficulties come to a focus. The fact that "objects" has the same form 
 both as a noun and as a verb may add to the confusion. No explana- 
 tion is offered as to why "namely" in the eighth line should receive six 
 long fixations. In line 6 the word "further" is not as common with 
 high-school pupils as the form "farther" which might account for the 
 difficulty. In line 4 the words "began" and "read" both present tense 
 difficulties. The word "began" is often confused with "begun." The 
 word "read" is spelled alike for both present and past tense but is pro- 
 nounced differently and often causes trouble in reading. No explana- 
 tion is offered for the word "subject."
 
 84 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 PLATE XXXI 
 
 The two men were seated at a table upon which 
 
 3t l-o xi Xo xi xi X3 X3 
 
 II 9-1 X3 X% S-7 ZS a-o 
 
 3 2 I XO SLO 
 
 many books and papers were scattered. The 
 
 3F 35 A l **** 2-2 
 
 XL> XU - 2-1 
 
 Z3 3-7 
 
 36 
 
 Z^ 
 
 older man turned to a pa^e m a large book and 
 
 31 -24 XI Jl JLX. 3.0 2.1 
 
 30 3-1 .2-3-30 -*-3 x7 
 
 XI 2-H JLS 
 
 XO 
 
 2-0 
 
 3X z3 
 
 began to read . The subject of the chapter was 
 
 XO -2-2- -2-7 - 2 - 3H- 3-Z. XX XI xZ- 
 
 XX 3& Z* *-** *-3 ZX xo 
 
 3f 
 
 XI XI 
 
 XO a.S 
 
 xo 30 fj% 
 
 something about hypnagogic hallucinations and 
 
 JLO-2.L-67-J9 X)~ XH- 3^- X3 30 
 
 X0-X9- 31 -XX Z3~3H-ZS~^>3 
 
 xi-2-H-Hx-yz. 31- xL~X( - 43 
 
 X 3- 2-7 -3 1 '' Lo 2.0 - ZZ~-2-?> - Z 2 
 X-r- Z<?'£/ - 2 - 3 
 XH-H3 
 
 hyperaesthesia . A few pages further on he 
 
 jtj-31-z.2-Z5-z<)-m j-L x% xo zH i-H 
 
 33-X7-z3-3^-X(,-x3- 3.x *■'*- xx 
 
 n u.3U-Z3-XI-3S-Z<l XI ^ 
 
 y 3Z -Z&-^~*l-M 3° xc 
 
 \2_jH--2Lt~ijS-ZS~3X ^ Z-O 
 
 3 7 
 
 Location of long fixation pauses, 19 subjects 
 
 o 
 XX
 
 CONTINUOUS RELATIONSHIP OF EYE AND VOICE 
 
 85 
 
 
 
 
 PLATE XXXIa 
 
 came 
 
 to 
 
 a 
 
 sentence which 
 
 xi 30 
 
 a. 
 X 3 
 
 x9 
 
 read, "One thing, 
 
 X^j 2.S 
 
 however, is obvious, namely , that the manner in 
 
 XO SI 3-H XX 
 
 3-1 X3 31 ?* 
 
 26 X-2> 
 
 ■ 3o 2.*i 
 
 XX 
 
 which we become acquainted with 
 
 xo 
 
 JLO 
 
 ii 
 
 complex 
 
 XO 
 2-7 
 
 objects 
 
 JJT-3Z 
 
 2.0 -H 3 
 X^- XH 
 X2- 23 
 
 need 
 
 31- XL 
 is-3f 
 XL-2H 
 XI 
 
 not 
 t% 
 
 x° 
 
 X7 
 
 xo 
 
 XI 
 
 X3 
 3X 
 
 in 
 
 xx 
 
 the least resemble the 
 
 2 <-i 
 
 21 
 
 XX 
 
 0. 2. 
 X 2 
 2 1 
 
 X2L 
 
 manner 
 
 2-H 
 
 in which the 
 
 xx 
 
 original 
 
 2-7 
 
 elements 
 
 20 
 30 
 
 XI 
 
 of 
 
 our 
 
 XL 
 
 2 o 
 
 consciousness grew 
 
 xj-~ x*i 
 31 - Ho- 
 xo 
 
 xo 
 
 -X3~ 
 3-2. 
 
 S7-2-3 
 XX 
 
 93 
 x9 
 XI 
 So 
 2U 
 
 XH 
 
 up. 
 
 X7 
 
 PLATE XXXI— Continued
 
 86 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 The results of this form of tabulation indicate that difficulty of 
 material must have some relation to the length of fixations. No other 
 explanation is apparent which could account for the fact that only 
 six long fixations fall on the ninth line while thirty-one fall on the tenth. 
 
 A similar form of study was applied to the elementary pupils. 
 Their records showed that long fixations were distributed over all the 
 words of the selection. Apparently even simple words present difficulties 
 to a child in the elementary school. 
 
 The interpretation of the foregoing data must be related to the 
 development of reading habits. The records of the elementary 'Subjects, 
 whose reading habits are still immature, show that long fixations are 
 frequent and occur all through the selection. Evidently long fixations 
 are characteristic of immature types of reading. The high-school and 
 adult subjects represent more mature readers. In general they have 
 outgrown the long fixation habits. However, when words of special 
 difficulty or difficult phrases are encountered, they return immediately 
 to the primitive type of habits characteristic of the immature reader. 
 Earlier in this chapter the same kind of a reversion to primitive reading 
 habits was observed in the narrowing of the eye-voice span when difficult 
 words were encountered. 
 
 The conclusion to be drawn regarding the long fixations is that 
 width of eye-voice span is not a determining factor. The return to 
 immature reading habits caused by encountering difficulties in the 
 reading material is apparently a more adequate explanation.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 THE EYE-VOICE SPAN AND THE RECOGNITION OF MEANING 
 MATERIAL AND METHOD USED 
 
 The use of a photographic method gives the most accurate measure 
 of the eye-voice span. The general use of this method is limited, how- 
 ever, by the very elaborate apparatus which is involved. It would be 
 desirable to have a device which would give objective information 
 regarding the eye-voice span without use of apparatus. Quantz, in 
 his study cited in the introductory chapter, called attention to a fact 
 which is of special significance. He suggested that certain words which 
 are spelled alike but pronounced differently might be used to determine 
 eye, voice, and meaning relationships. This chapter reports the testing 
 of such a device by photographing the eye-movements which occur 
 when such words are encountered in the reading. 
 
 A paragraph of twelve lines was constructed, which contained six 
 words which are spelled alike but pronounced differently. The sub- 
 jects were not informed that the paragraph was unusual in any respect, 
 but were instructed to read it carefully in order to get the meaning. 
 The subjects read orally and were not allowed to glance over the selec- 
 tion before beginning to read. The test passage used was as follows: 
 
 The boys' arrows were nearly gone so they sat 
 down on the grass and stopped hunting. Over 
 at the edge of the woods they saw Henry 
 making a bow to a little girl who was coming 
 down the road. She had tears in her dress 
 and also tears in her eyes. She gave Henry a 
 note which he brought over to the group of 
 young hunters. Read to the boys it caused 
 great excitement. After a minute but rapid 
 examination of their weapons they ran down 
 the valley. Does were standing at the edge 
 of the lake making an excellent target. 
 
 87
 
 88 A STUDY OF THE EYE- VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 The test words in the paragraph are "bow" in line 4, "tears" in line 5, 
 "tears" in line 6, "read" in line 8, "minute" in line 9, and "does" in 
 line 11. The paragraph is so constructed that the meaning of these 
 words is not evident until the next few words in the sentence are read. 
 For example, in line 5, the word "tears" is ambiguous until the word 
 "dress" is reached. The hypothesis in regard to the eye-voice span is 
 that no error will be made in the reading if the span is wide enough to 
 enable the reader to take in the word "dress" before pronouncing the 
 word "tears." If the span is not wide enough to do this, there is a 
 strong probability of error. By varying the distance between the test 
 words and the part of the sentence which qualifies it, a rough measure 
 of the width of the eye-voice span can be secured. If this hypothesis 
 is correct, subjects having a wide eye-voice span should make fewer 
 errors than those whose span is narrower. 
 
 The use of such a paragraph will also help to answer the question 
 as to where the recognition of meaning occurs in the reading process. 
 Does the recognition of meaning accompany the eye or the voice, or is 
 it intermediate ? A similar question could be raised in regard to silent 
 reading. 
 
 ORAL READING OF TEST PASSAGE 
 
 Photographs were made of the eye-movements of a number of sub- 
 jects while reading this selection. A comparison of the behavior of the 
 eye, when encountering one of the test words, with the dictaphone voice 
 record will show how closely the two are related. Plates XXXII- 
 XXXIV give the records of the oral reading of this selection by three 
 subjects. 
 
 Plate XXXII gives the record of Subject H13, a good reader from 
 the junior class. In the reading of the first line of the selection, a long 
 regressive movement occurred at the sixth fixation, carrying the eye 
 back over the word "nearly." The dictaphone record showed that he 
 had trouble with this word, hesitating before pronouncing it and repeat- 
 ing the first syllable as follows, "nea nearly." The fact that the 
 
 fifth fixation, the one just before the regressive movement, fell on the 
 word "gone" would indicate that the eye had passed the word "nearly" 
 but was recalled when the voice reached it. Evidently the eye did not 
 fully recognize the meaning of the word when it fixated on it the first 
 time, and the regressive movement occurred to make sure of the meaning. 
 
 The next difficulty which is evident in the record of this subject is 
 found in the fifth line on the word "tears." This was one of the test
 
 EYE-VOICE SPAN AND RECOGNITION OF MEANING 
 
 89 
 
 PLATE XXXII 
 
 3 6 H 
 
 Th4 boys' 
 
 10 
 
 arrows ware 
 
 IX S 7 IX. 
 
 noarly gouo po they sat 
 
 17 i 7 s- 
 
 down om the grass and stopped hunting, 
 c 7 /v // if 
 
 i 7 
 12. 3 q 
 
 at tjie ed^e of the woods 
 
 11 I s 
 
 
 Over 
 
 'a. 
 
 they Isaw Henry 
 
 10 
 
 S 7 6 $ 
 
 making a tow to 
 
 a lifttle feirp- whj) |ras ooming 
 
 h 1 
 
 down phe road 
 
 u 
 
 7 IC // /& ,£■ // 
 
 3 *~ f 1 it & /o 2 -? 
 
 H 
 
 She Bidd t3a:*3 
 
 in 
 
 
 dress 
 
 2. 1 1 3 -i~ 
 
 10 IX 2 S is 6 n '" 5 
 7*9 10 
 
 and al 30 
 
 tears 
 
 3 f i IX 7 
 
 21 3 y 
 note which 
 
 // 
 
 in her eyba. She gave Henry a 
 
 7 11 % g xo IS- 
 
 S- i 7 
 
 9 6 S 
 
 j 1 9 3 10 
 
 he brought 
 
 over tjo the group of 
 
 7 * 
 
 t II '*■ 7 £* S/J 
 
 yount hnnterd. Readj jto the boy a i|t paused 
 
 U 11 *■>> i 9 
 
 1 a. 
 
 11 10 ' '$ u 9 i ft 
 
 jr t, 
 
 great exoiteraont. After a ml nut bup rapid 
 
 1 x s 
 
 scajpiaati 
 
 x xi < 
 
 * xx 13 f 1 xo 1 
 
 1 
 9 7 10 (, 11 ix 3 13 q 
 
 xajhiaation of tieir ifekporJs they jran 1 
 
 Lown 
 
 IX * 10 * 
 
 •2- i 3 »* f 9 v 13 t> a S 10 
 
 xi 17 ix S 
 
 >f 
 
 the yalloy. Dp_3_3 pyerje kianiing by the edge 
 
 IH % a 14 iH *? "I'M 10 
 
 I ~ 3 * 
 
 of the laku making an excellent 
 
 target. 
 
 Oral reading of test passage by Subject H13
 
 go 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE- VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 ' X 
 
 PLATE XXXIII 
 
 3 V *~ 
 
 The b|oys' arrows wore nearly gone so tiey sat 
 
 ' 3. 3 H 6 S7 $ 9 
 
 dpwn on the grass and stpjjped huniing. Over 
 
 9 
 
 Ove 
 
 ; 3 
 
 !, 7 
 
 ap the edge of phe woods they saw Henry 
 
 3 V L r 
 
 raaiiiig a bow to a Little girl who was coming 
 
 x Si 3 h u 
 
 poac 
 
 7 fix i n/3 io "t is~ 
 
 loin: the poad. She 
 
 '3 a. h 
 
 hftd tears in her dress 
 
 7 S ? ,o 
 
 and 
 
 "be ars ill herl eyes J Shi gavo Heni*y a 
 
 ■tlso tears i 
 
 i / 3 
 
 t H- 
 
 S 7 
 
 mope [which he brought PT^r to phe gipup of 
 
 2.0 _ 1.3-2/ IH 
 
 xiH i 19 J '° n f ,^>(, ifzi? i3 xh $ it, ti'rr 1 M> '» 
 
 jHAukgl hdnterJ. IJtdtH |<j» Ithle ijoW it lokuted 
 
 7 HZ. /, IX 3 S 
 
 13 H 
 
 $ /s y /b ii* 
 gr4ap fexciteraeilt. Ifter a miiiute [but ripid 
 
 X 3 I 
 
 s 
 Ltion loi 
 
 $ ? /o 
 
 psjaminAtion of tjheir weapons they ran down 
 
 / * | U^ Wh- 7 II ix iH is 
 
 tjhe valley. I<is frf 9 ptpndingpy tjie edge 
 
 a- i 3 s 
 
 ofj the lake 
 
 ■i 
 
 naming sen excellent target, 
 
 Oral reading of test passage by Subject Ai
 
 EYE-VOICE SPAN AND RECOGNITION OF MEANING 
 PLATE XXXIV 
 
 91 
 
 Th 
 
 / * 3 
 
 arrows 
 
 were nearly gona so 
 
 L 7 s ? 
 
 thoy 3at 
 
 * X 
 
 J. / 3 
 
 '7 ^ 
 
 IX. * > 10 
 
 79 /a 
 
 AowA tn the glrass and sjtofpped hunljing. Ovejr 
 
 X 2 iL /*- // /3 «*■ '* 9 IS 
 
 ix. i /C 
 * I 3 
 
 3-13+ Si 7 99 
 
 it (tie idge of the loods tlhey saw Hepry 
 
 J*. J 10 'o 
 
 3. 1 3 
 
 La 
 
 A3 i 
 
 ft S 7 
 
 '7 
 
 i 
 
 /•y // 
 
 njaklng a bow Ibi a little girl who was cpmin 
 
 10 
 cpn .&g 
 
 /y i* 'it> "t f 9 17 € (> 
 
 3 S H- L 7 /o f 9 // iX 
 
 liwjn the ijoad. ah 4 \ 
 17 2 19 
 
 O- I 3 H 
 
 X 1 3 S H l> ? /O 2 9 " 
 
 L<Ujn the rload. ah A had teaijs in hfer dnefes 
 
 * S& 7 
 
 •7 $ 9 so 
 
 — 1 1 11 
 
 and also tiara in h »r pyes. She gaye HAnry a 
 
 7 9 if 9 Xt 3X 
 
 X. 1 3 S f 
 
 19 Jo /y '9 
 
 S 9 
 
 — 1 j — • 
 
 not el wiiick he Brought ovor to the group of 
 
 /*- f. jn < 10 in I & ■3.1 
 
 is r to $ 19 
 
 X i*3 
 
 *i 9 
 
 7 S /6 * 6. II o ,f, 3 16 ix. II 17 
 
 youAg kuktfers. Rekd ltd thb bi>yn it ikuped 
 
 .'. . Lea J. J_ L m tf III .«-<flT 1 a 111 It- < 
 
 II 7 * 1 
 X ) </ 3 
 
 ), } ? <f // i if is S S 13 ■*? H "* 
 
 S 7 I i 11 9 IZ 10 
 
 gr 
 
 kitt eJcoktement. Afper a jnijnjtte b 
 
 A 7 zy 13 Ji 9 **" *' j 
 
 i H 3 S 
 
 hiite but rapid 
 
 ? r 
 
 examination of tpeir weapbns they ran dpwn 
 
 2. HI 3 S >3 *lix '°7 m 9 **■ » U 
 
 the va 
 
 ttH 
 
 Does w^re 
 
 « 4: 
 
 ^'V > 
 
 ? /Lf 9 is a U '7 
 
 B-tandibg by tpie edge 
 
 "ill >3 IS q XI 
 
 is- '9 '9 n iy /A 
 
 A. I 3 V * S7 & 
 
 an excilLLen-tt target 
 
 10 i ix 16 x?x* 
 
 Oral reading of test passage by Subject A3 
 
 XL I 3 
 
 of thfe lake mating
 
 92 A STUDY OF THE EYE- VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 words and it caused the reader a great deal of trouble. The eye passed 
 and returned to the word twice before the correct meaning was recog- 
 nized. The dictaphone record read as follows: "She had - ah - tear 
 (error) — tears (correct) in her dress." The difficulty experienced is 
 clearly reflected in the eye-movements. In line 6 the reader approached 
 "tears" very cautiously and was successful in avoiding an error. 
 
 In the eighth line the word "read" caused a period of confusion for 
 the eye. Following the eye-fixations in serial order, it will be seen 
 that the difficulty did not appear until after the fifth fixation just 
 following the word "it." The dictaphone shows that the voice pro- 
 ceeded to the word "it" before being fully aware of its error. The 
 
 record was as follows: "Read (error) to read (error) to the boys 
 
 read (correct) to the boys it — ." 
 
 In the ninth line the word "minute" was mispronounced and left 
 uncorrected. The voice repeated the phrase "but rapid" twice. The 
 accompanying eye-movement may be seen in the third and fourth 
 fixations of the next line. These fixations, as indicated by the dotted 
 line, were regressive movements to the last two words of the ninth line. 
 
 In the eleventh line the voice made a very long hesitation before 
 pronouncing "does," but succeeded in pronouncing it without error. 
 The film record shows that the eye passed back and forth over the 
 word several times before the meaning became clear. The subject had 
 evidently become cautious and did not attempt to pronounce the word 
 until the meaning was recognized. 
 
 Plate XXXIII gives the record of Subject Ai, a college student 
 ranked as a poor reader. A correlation between eye and voice difficulties 
 appears here as in the case of Subject H13. The word "bow" in line 4 
 was mispronounced but was immediately corrected. The regressive 
 movement from the fifth to the sixth fixation shows the location of the 
 eye at the time of the readjustment. 
 
 The word "tears" in line 5 was mispronounced and passed without 
 correction. The voice also repeated the word "had" just preceding 
 "tears." 
 
 The voice had a very difficult time with the word "read" in the 
 eighth line, repeating the phrase three times before reading it correctly. 
 
 The reading was as follows: " read (error) to read (error) 
 
 to the boys it caused read (correct) to the boys ." 
 
 The difficulty in eye-movements was fully as great, the eye making 
 26 fixations on the line. The confusion in eye-movements in the next 
 line shows that the eye had made at least 10 fixations there before the
 
 EYE-VOICE SPAN AND RECOGNITION OF MEANING 
 
 93 
 
 reading was corrected. Fixations 8, 9, and 10 in line 9 were regressive 
 movements back to the end of line 8. 
 
 The reaction to the word "does" in line n was a very long hesita- 
 tion on the part of the voice, the word finally being pronounced without 
 error. The fixations show that the eye was very busy during the 
 pause and that it made a minute survey of both "does" and "were." 
 
 Plate XXXIV, showing the record of Subject A3, brings out the 
 same kind of correlation between voice and eye difficulty. This subject 
 made errors in pronouncing "bow" in line 4, "tears" in fine 5, "read" 
 in line 8, "minute" in line 9 and "does" in line n. More or less con- 
 fusion in eye-movements can be observed in all of these positions on 
 the plate. 
 
 The records of these subjects make it very evident that certain 
 characteristic confusions in eye-fixations accompany points of difficulty 
 in oral reading. A comparison of the percentage of errors made in the 
 reading of this selection with the eye- voice span as determined by the 
 other part of this study would show whether any relation exists between 
 width of eye-voice span and these same oral-reading difficulties. 
 
 TABLE XV 
 
 Errors in Word Test Paragraph — Oral Reading 
 
 Subject 
 
 Number Test 
 Words in 
 Passage 
 
 Number Correct 
 
 Number Errors 
 Corrected 
 
 Number Errors 
 Not Corrected 
 
 Average Eye- 
 Voice Span 
 
 H 4 
 
 H 5 
 
 H6 
 
 Hn 
 
 5 
 6 
 6 
 5 
 5 
 6 
 6 
 6 
 6 
 6 
 6 
 6 
 6 
 6 
 6 
 
 3 
 2 
 1 
 
 
 3 
 
 2 
 
 4 
 3 
 4 
 2 
 
 4 
 
 4 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 O 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 1 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 1 
 2 
 2 
 1 
 2 
 
 2 
 I 
 I 
 
 4 
 1 
 1 
 2 
 2 
 2 
 2 
 1 
 
 2 
 4 
 3 
 
 10. 
 
 12.0 
 
 12.4 
 
 9.6 
 
 H12 
 
 13-7 
 
 His 
 
 13.8 
 
 H14 
 
 17.6 
 
 Hi? 
 
 12.3 
 
 H16 
 
 H18 
 
 8-5 
 "•5 
 
 H19 
 
 H20 
 
 12.8 
 23.0 
 
 Ai 
 
 A2 
 
 12. 2 
 9-3 
 
 A? 
 
 13.6 
 
 
 
 Table XV gives the data for the reading of a selection containing 
 this kind of test words by 15 subjects. The table shows the number 
 of test words in the passage, the numbers pronounced correctly the first 
 time, the number of errors which were corrected, the number of errors
 
 94 
 
 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IX READING 
 
 not corrected, and the average eye-voice span. Table XVI is made up 
 from Table XV, and shows the relation of errors in the test paragraph 
 
 TABLE XVI 
 
 Relation of Errors ix Word Test Paragraph to Eye- 
 Voice Sfax 
 
 Xumber of Subjects 
 
 Test Score — Per cent of 
 
 Words Correct and 
 
 Corrected 
 
 Average Eye -Voice 
 Span 
 
 I 
 
 1-20 
 21-40 
 41-60 
 61-80 
 Sl-IOO 
 
 9.6 
 
 9-3 
 
 "•3 
 
 12.6 
 14.8 
 
 I . . . 
 
 2 
 
 6 
 
 
 O 
 
 1-20 
 
 Jl-IOO 
 
 21-40 41-60 61-80 
 
 Fig. 12. — Relation of errors in word test paragraph to eye-voice -span. Percentage 
 of words correct shown on horizontal axis. Average eye-voice span on the vertical axis. 
 
 to the eye-voice span. This table is based upon the percentage of test 
 words in the paragraph which were pronounced correctly at first or 
 were immediately corrected. It should be read as follows: One subject 
 pronounced from 1 to 20 per cent of the words correctly and had an
 
 EYE-VOICE SPAN AND RECOGNITION OF MEANING 95 
 
 average span of 9 . 6 letter-spaces, one pronounced from 21 to 40 per cent 
 correctly and had an average span of 9 . 3 letter-spaces, two pronounced 
 from 41 to 60 per cent correctly and had an average span of n . 3 spaces, 
 etc. The same data are shown graphically in Figure 12. A distinct 
 positive correlation is evident between a wide eye-voice span and a high 
 score in reading the selection. A subject with a wide span has an 
 opportunity to interpret the meaning in larger units and is able to get 
 the correct meaning before the voice reaches the points of difficulty. 
 
 Two facts stand out clearly as a result of the use of the paragraph 
 containing the test words. The first is that difficulties in the recogni- 
 tion of meaning are reflected in the character of the eye-movements. 
 The second is that subjects with a wide eye-voice span have less difficulty 
 with such material than do subjects with a narrower span. Whether 
 the eye-voice span is a cause or an effect will need to be determined by 
 a careful analysis of the development of reading. This question will be 
 considered in the last section of this chapter. 
 
 SILENT READING OF TEST PASSAGE 
 
 The facts brought out in the oral reading of the test passage suggested 
 that a comparison with silent reading might be of interest. With this 
 purpose in mind, photographs were taken of the silent reading of the 
 same passage by a number of subjects. Plates XXXV to XXXVII 
 show the records of these readings. Plate XXXVI gives the silent- 
 reading record of Subject H7, a good reader from the sophomore class. 
 This subject made a great many fixations per line all through the selec- 
 tion, which was due to the direction to "read it carefully in order to get 
 the meaning." The larger number in the first line shows the reaction 
 of the eye to new material. Eye-movements for the first line of any 
 selection are seldom characteristic of the movements for the selection 
 as a whole. The reading of the next three lines shows that the eye had 
 settled down to a rhythmic movement. Apparently the word "bow" 
 in line 4 caused no difficulty. 
 
 In line 5 the word "tears" caused a break in this rhythmic move- 
 ment but the correct meaning was evidently obtained without great 
 difficulty. In the next line the word "tears" caused considerable dis- 
 turbance, and several regressive movements were necessary. The 
 word "read" in line 8 caused little trouble. Inline 9 the word "minute" 
 apparently created a great deal of difficulty. The eye behaved in the 
 same manner in this as it did in the oral selections at a point where 
 the voice had difficulty.
 
 96 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 PLATE XXXV 
 2. 3 4' & (, Z 7 
 
 Tho boys' arrows were pearly gone so 
 
 /o 
 
 they sit 
 
 x I 
 
 down on the grass 
 
 and stopped 
 
 hunting 
 
 Over 
 
 / *. 
 
 tf S L 
 
 ai the edge of the wobds they I saw Henry 
 
 J. S 4 3 
 
 maiding a Jaw to a little girl 
 
 i. 7 
 
 who was c 
 
 oiling 
 
 3 s. i h 
 
 S 7 
 
 <6 10 9 
 
 down xhp road. She had tears in nefr dress 
 
 / -2- y- 3 is. a s /o 7 $ & 9 
 
 and also tears in her pyes, 
 
 also 
 
 her eyes. Shi gpff tfenrk k 
 
 a. i 
 
 nope which he brought 
 
 over to 
 
 the group of 
 
 3 7 u ¥ % s 
 
 young hunters. Pejid 
 
 to 
 
 pys it caus< 
 
 /o 9 // 
 
 the b6ys it caused 
 
 at excipemenp 
 
 great exci 
 
 Aft?r a minute but 
 
 rapia 
 
 examinati 
 
 S 7 l> S 
 
 xaminatipn of their Weapons tmeJy ran down 
 
 a. / 
 
 7 qio$ l ? 3~ ix. // 
 
 the valley. Does weire iianAini by tjie edgi 
 
 13 s. v s L 7 
 
 of the lako making an excellent tjargtt. 
 
 Silent reading of test passage by Subject H3
 
 EYE-VOICE SPAN AND RECOGNITION OF MEANING 97 
 
 PLATE XXXVI 
 SL 1 H 3 S & L 7 <f 11 10 
 
 were 
 
 /*. 13 
 
 Trie Poj?'3 , arrows were nesjrlt gcjne 30 thfey sat 
 
 / JL 
 
 Le grass 
 
 cuowp on tjhe grass and stopped hunting. Oyer 
 
 2- I 
 it 
 
 r i> 7 g 
 
 at fche edge of tbje woods; thev sal Henry 
 
 xi 3 v 
 
 /" 
 
 ^ * ? 
 
 raaiiiJg a b_>w td a little girl vjho was coming 
 
 3 (, <+ s ? 7 X 
 
 down the road. She had I tears i 
 
 i1» 
 
 .k hlr k 
 
 ress 
 
 A 1 3 H 1 ^ (>ioS 7 II 13- 13 /if 
 
 and also teaj*s in per eye 3. She gave Hinrl a 
 
 -r l> 
 
 nite which ha brought over to The *:roup 
 
 of 
 
 x- 1 
 
 1- L S 7 
 
 young hunters. Read Xb rthle boys it 
 
 caused 
 
 great exci 
 
 3 ***■ 7 fw I *1",2 '« 
 
 tejment. Afrter a kiWute lb 
 
 rapid 
 
 3L I 
 
 3 L H- jt 7 
 
 % ? 11 10 
 :mraination J>f their weapons they ran down 
 
 the valley. Doe3 were standing by the edge 
 
 of the lake making an excellent target. 
 
 Silent reading of test passage by Subject H7. (** — end of film)
 
 98 a study of the eye-voice span in reading 
 
 plate xxxvii 
 
 S A H 
 
 3& f 
 
 The boyp 1 arrcws wer 
 
 /I A' 9 It <) 1 f 
 
 /« II IX 
 
 >ne so 
 
 7 $ 
 
 pearly gone so they sat 
 
 down 
 
 on the gjrass and sftopped punting. 
 
 is is- 
 
 Over 
 
 IX 
 
 2. I 
 
 13 
 
 L S 
 
 at the edge df the woods "Jheyl saw 
 
 is // 6, 
 
 ■) i 9 a A. <£■>■ 
 
 Henry 
 
 '& S ii 
 
 3 if 7 ix, L 
 
 io I 7 II A. Ss" * H- 7 13* L 13 
 
 raalkjng a ppg jtlo a lifctle girl who was boming 
 
 io /3 1° IX* 9 is 
 
 2. / 
 
 down the road. She 
 
 ;h|e 
 
 I 2. 3 
 
 h 
 
 had bears 
 
 ,'o 7 
 
 and alno tears in her eyes. She gave 
 
 IZ, q IS zo I j i 
 
 iz. <? is 
 
 3L I H 
 
 S *■ II 
 
 L Jr 7 
 in I her dress 
 
 lis- 9 t 
 jr 6> 
 
 Henry a 
 is. 
 
 notJe whibh he brought over to the grbup of 
 
 'O // 6 
 
 /O 'I 
 
 iox i 7 3 S 9 n H- /■*- 
 
 youngl huntirs. _R<[!id to the bone itJ caused 
 
 XI i 1 * 
 
 7 X I 
 
 great efxcitement 
 
 HIH 13 II 
 
 3 
 
 io 7 9 t 9 & S io n 7 
 
 io 3? n'U If l*> 4 *<> 'S 
 
 111 A ./'— I "•* • — 
 
 J. Iter a Mnun e bup rapid 
 
 3 ,x )j IO i 1° II /& V 
 
 9 ,s 3H 
 
 .2, 
 
 £- 
 
 examination op their weapons they ran down 
 
 % 17 ix_ '2 s 
 
 9 & 3 x\s io 7 if 12- II 13 
 
 l *s ~ j, i _- ,u , f • II i*s 
 
 the vallley. Jobs vilre stjandl rig by ijhe edge 
 ii I ,{[ ski x 2 g * * * 
 
 l i x 7 3 L ¥ S 
 
 of the laWe mafekng ;in excellent target. 
 
 ><. x £ X ? x io * 
 
 Silent reading of test passage by Subject A4
 
 EYE- VOICE SPAN AND RECOGNITION OF MEANING 99 
 
 The record of Subject A4, a good reader from the college, is given 
 in Plate XXXVII. This subject also shows a characteristic reaction 
 to the first line of the selection, not falling into a rhythmic movement 
 until the beginning of the second line. 
 
 The record of line 4 shows clearly that, the word "bow" presents a 
 difficulty. Evidently the wrong meaning was used at first and the eye 
 returned to it several times before getting the correct interpretation. 
 The word "tears" did not cause any marked disturbance in the reading. 
 "Read" in line 8 and "minute" in line 9 each caused a radical change 
 in eye-movement. The same kind of confusion occurs with these two 
 words which, in the oral readings, accompanied a serious error in the 
 reading. In line n the word "does" causes fully as much trouble as 
 in any of the oral selections. This shows that the eye-movements in 
 both oral and silent reading are largely controlled by the recognition of 
 
 meaning. 
 
 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORAL AND SILENT READING 
 
 The preceding sections have shown that the difficulties in both 
 oral and silent reading are indicated by similar disturbances in eye- 
 movements. The eye-movements are evidently more directly related 
 to recognition of meanings than are the eye-voice spans. The reasons 
 for this can be brought out more clearly if we review the development 
 of reading from its early oral stages to the later and more mature stages 
 of silent reading. 
 
 In a primitive or very immature type of reading the eye and voice 
 proceed exactly together. The recognition of meaning also accompanies 
 them. Progress at this stage is made a word at a time, or, if the word 
 is too complex, progress is by shorter units, even letters. The attention 
 span is so small that the eye does not move on until the voice has pro- 
 nounced the word or syllable. In the case of words which are new to 
 sight, but whose meaning is known when heard, the meaning is arrived 
 at only by the sounding and pronouncing of the word. The oral pro- 
 nunciation is a definite step in the recognition of meaning. A concrete 
 example of such an eye-voice-meaning relationship is found in Plate VI, 
 line 1 . Here the reader is keeping his eye fixated upon the word while 
 he is pronouncing it and getting its meaning. This pupil, who is a 
 poor reader from the second grade, has a primitive, immature type of 
 reading habit. Line 1 of Figure 13 represents graphically such a situa- 
 tion. The eye, E, the voice, V, and the meaning, M, keep very close 
 together.
 
 ioo A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 Plate VIII shows the record of Subject E7, a poor reader from the 
 third grade, who keeps his eye an average of 8 letter-spaces ahead of 
 his voice. This reader exhibits a little more complex type of reading 
 habit. The attention span has developed until the meaning can be 
 followed even though the eye is some distance ahead of the voice. In 
 Figure 13 this pupil is represented by line 2. The eye is shown to be 
 8 letter-spaces ahead of the voice. Since this reader is still very imma- 
 ture and has a narrow eye-voice span it seems probable that he still 
 relies on his oral pronunciation to get the meaning of his words, and for 
 
 1 vl 
 
 2 v 
 
 ^ 
 
 3 V ^_- -±- 
 
 — — — M^ 
 
 4» E 
 
 m/ 
 
 5 V _ § 
 
 M / 
 
 Fig. 13. — The development of the attention span in reading 
 
 this reason the meaning, M, is located a little nearer the voice than the 
 eye. As the student learns to read to himself the meaning attaches 
 itself more closely to the position of the eye. Accordingly, in the other 
 lines of Figure 13, M is located nearer the eye than the voice. The 
 whole matter of the location of M in the figure is merely schematic 
 since there is no objective evidence upon which an exact location can 
 be based. 
 
 The attempt to locate the position of M presents a very complex 
 problem. Meaning itself is not a unitary and complete sort of thing 
 which occurs instantaneously at certain points through the reading. 
 After a reader has mastered his vocabulary, the recognition of the
 
 EYE- VOICE SPAN AND RECOGNITION OF MEANING 101 
 
 meanings of words, except in the case of new or difficult ones, doubtless 
 occurs as soon as the eye perceives the words. The recognition of the 
 meaning of words therefore might be said to keep pace with the eye. 
 But the complete meaning of a sentence or a paragraph is not made up 
 by summing together the individual meanings of the words. The 
 meaning of each word in a sentence is modified by what precedes and 
 follows. Phrases, clauses, or whole sentences are the units and the 
 recognition of the complete meaning must be in a liquid state during 
 the reading process, being subject to continual change and being held 
 in the mind in a tentative fashion until the end of the unit of thought 
 is reached. To speak of a location for the recognition of such a develop- 
 ing meaning as this would probably refer to the focal point in the moving 
 conscious state or attention span by which the mind "carries on" in 
 the reading process. That this focal point or the apex of the moving 
 attention span would be nearer the eye than the voice is also indicated 
 by the amount of conscious attention given to these two factors. The 
 motor reaction of the voice ultimately becomes quite automatic. It 
 follows along behind the eye at a distance such that the immediate 
 memory association with the material perceived is kept intact but it is 
 back in the margin of consciousness as long as no special difficulty is 
 encountered. The principal part of the attention span is concerned 
 with the new material which the eye is receiving, and with translating this 
 into the meaning whole. Consequently the focus of attention is cen- 
 tered around the eye and the meaning, while the voice is largely left to 
 pronounce the words automatically with a minimum amount of con- 
 sciousness accompanying it. 
 
 The successive lines in Figure 13 represent increasing degrees of 
 maturity of reading. Line 3 shows the record from Plate XXII of 
 Subject H5, whose average eye-voice span is 12 letter-spaces. Line 4 
 shows the record from Plate XIV of Subject E22, whose average eye- 
 voice span is 19.7 letter-spaces. Line 5 shows the eye- voice span of 
 Subject Hi at a fixation in the next to the last line in Plate XXIa. At 
 this point the reader's eye was 46 letter-spaces ahead of her voice, which 
 indicates a high degree of maturity of reading habits. 
 
 The previous chapters of this study have pointed out that there is 
 a close relationship between a good quality of reading and a wide eye- 
 voice span. The question was raised as to which of the two is cause or 
 effect. It would appear that both are effects, and that the causal 
 element is the existence of a general attention span wide enough to hold 
 a large number of words or reading elements in the mind at one time.
 
 102 A STUDY OF THE EYE-VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 The preceding evidence shows that a poor, immature reader can hold 
 only a few letters or words in the focus of attention, while more mature 
 readers are the ones who have a wide attention span. Progress in 
 reading would therefore be a matter of the development of the span of 
 attention to such a degree that it would be possible for the eye to keep 
 a considerable distance ahead of the voice and thus provide a wide 
 margin for the interpretation of meaning. The extent to which such a 
 span may be developed, or to which it is dependent on factors of native 
 capacity, will need to be determined by further experimentation. The 
 problem would seem to be worth a careful investigation through an 
 elaborate training experiment. 
 
 It is an interesting fact to note that Subject Hi, who at one point 
 had a maximum span of 46 letter-spaces, reduced her span to 5 letter- 
 spaces when the word "hallucination" was encountered. The same 
 tendency to cut down the width of the span is evident whenever any 
 difficulty is encountered. At such times the reader is placed in the 
 same situation as a child, and returns at once to the same primitive 
 type of eye-voice relationship which is characteristic of the habits 
 of the immature reader. 
 
 The relation of oral to silent reading can now be shown more 
 clearly. In such a case as that represented in Figure 13, line 1, the 
 attention span for oral or silent reading would be the same, since the 
 eye, voice, and recognition of meaning move along as a unit. As more 
 mature reading habits are formed the nature of the attention span 
 becomes different for the two processes. For oral reading it includes 
 the eye and meaning and also in a lesser degree the voice which, because 
 of the automatic character of its reaction, allows its conscious control 
 to be much reduced in intensity. The silent-reading process is entirely 
 relieved of any attention to the voice and the whole of consciousness 
 can be focused upon the eye and the meaning. Such a situation is 
 represented in Figure 13 by line 6. It cannot be assumed, however, 
 that in silent reading the width of the attention span is limited to the 
 space from the eye to the meaning. The general range of attention 
 must cover the reading material by complete thought units, and in 
 the silent-reading process the width of the attention span must be 
 great enough to do this. When the reader cannot maintain a span 
 sufficiently wide for this, he falls back into more primitive habits and 
 pronounces the words to make the meaning clear. 
 
 It has been pointed out that when difficulties are encountered in 
 oral reading the eye-voice span is immediately reduced to a primitive
 
 EYE-VOICE SPAN AND RECOGNITION OF MEANING 103 
 
 form. The same thing occurs in silent reading. When the difficult 
 words in the test paragraph were encountered in silent reading, the eye 
 returned to the word causing the difficulty, just as it returned to the posi- 
 tion of the voice in oral reading. An example of such a case is shown in 
 Plate XXXIII at the word " read " in line 8. Here the reader experienced 
 a difficulty in interpretation of the meaning at that point, and the eye 
 which has passed the word "boys," returned to the word "read," 
 cutting down the span from the eye to the recognition of meaning to 
 zero in the same manner as in oral reading. If the difficulty in getting 
 the meaning in silent reading is sufficiently great, there is a reversion 
 not only to the habit of bringing the eye back to the location of the 
 recognition of meaning, but also to the most primitive habit of silently 
 pronouncing the words. This reinstates the most primitive form of 
 reading where the eye, the voice, and the meaning proceed together. 
 
 The development of the reading process may therefore be traced 
 through three stages. First, the most primitive or immature stage of 
 oral reading where the eye, the voice, and the meaning are all focused 
 at the same point. Secondly, the more mature stage of oral reading 
 where there is a considerable span between the eye and the voice, with 
 the recognition of meaning occurring at a point nearer to the position 
 of the eye. Thirdly, the stage of silent reading where the reader is 
 entirely relieved of any attention to the voice and where the entire 
 attention can be given to the eye and the meaning, making possible 
 the development of a much higher degree of proficiency. 
 
 In chapter ii it was observed that some good readers in the fifth 
 grade had an average eye-voice span greater than many high-school 
 pupils. The fact that some pupils had developed such a wide span 
 during the first four years of school would indicate a possibility that, 
 with sufficient emphasis and appropriate method, a wider span could 
 be developed with other pupils. The time for the teaching of oral 
 reading is during the first four school years. By the time the fifth 
 grade is reached the mechanics of reading should be mastered by the 
 pupils and a larger amount of silent reading given. Figure 3 makes it 
 clear that a great many pupils have not succeeded in developing a wide 
 eye-voice span even at the high-school level. If the assumption is 
 true, as the evidence indicates, that a wide eye-voice span is closely 
 related to a wide attention span, and that a wide attention span is 
 essential to good silent reading, it is highly important that a wider 
 eye-voice span should be developed if possible during the first four 
 years of school. It should be developed during these years, first,
 
 104 A STUDY OF THE EYE- VOICE SPAN IN READING 
 
 because that is the period during which oral reading predominates, and 
 secondly, because the advantage of a wide attention span should be 
 made available for silent reading by the beginning of the fifth grade. 
 
 The fact that the subjects from the freshman class of the high school 
 showed a wider eye-voice span than the subjects from the sophomore 
 and junior years was ascribed to the special training given to this class 
 by the English department. Evidently there were some elements of 
 method in the special training which affected the eye-voice span. These 
 specific methods should be available for use in the first four school 
 grades. The results of this investigation indicate that the develop- 
 ment of the eye-voice span is a factor of sufficient significance, for both 
 oral and silent reading, to warrant further research through a training 
 experiment making use of specific methods having this end in view.
 
 INDEX 
 
 Analysis of regressive movements, 59 
 Apparatus, 3, 64 
 Attention span, 100 
 Automatic arc lamp, 3 
 Automatic voice reaction, 101 
 
 Beginning of sentence, eye-voice span 
 at, 45 
 
 Cause of long fixations, 86 
 
 Cause of regressive movements, 58 
 
 Confusion periods, 93 
 
 Continuous eye-voice relationship, 64 
 
 Correlations with eye- voice span, 62 
 
 Courtis, S. A., 9 
 
 Development of eye- voice span, 33 
 Development of reading habits, 99, 103 
 Dictaphone, 6, 7, 64 
 Dictaphone records, 88 
 Difficult words, effect of, 69, 81 
 
 Elastic nature of eye-voice span, 69, 78 
 End of sentence, eye-voice span at, 43, 50 
 Errors in test paragraph, 93 
 Eye-line, 65 
 
 Eye-movements-iust-preceding- 
 regressive-movements, 60 
 
 Fixations number of, 53, 56 
 
 Gray, C. T., 3, 4, 41 
 Gray, W. S., 7 
 
 Head line, 4 
 Head movement, 4 
 
 Immature reading habits, 86 
 Interpretation of meaning, 45 
 
 James, Wm., 10 
 Judd, C. H., 14 
 
 Length of fixations, 79 
 
 Letter-space, 9 
 
 Location of fixations, 4 
 
 Long fixations, 79, 83; cause of, 86 
 
 Mature reading habits, 61, 63 
 
 .Maximum span, 68, 78 
 
 Methods of developing eye-voice span, 
 
 63, 104 
 Minimum span, 68, 78 
 
 Oral reading of test paragraph, 88 
 
 Photographic method, 3, 4, 87 
 Position in line, 3, 42, 50 
 Position in sentence, 14, 42, 48 
 Primitive type of reading habits, 102 
 
 Quality of reading, 17 
 
 Quantz, J. O., 2, 3, 41, 42, 50, 87 
 
 Range of span, 80 
 
 Rapid readers, 51 
 
 Rate of reading, 5 1 
 
 Reading selections used, g, 87 
 
 Recognition of meaning, 88 
 
 Regressive movements, 32, 57 
 
 Relationship between oral and silent 
 
 reading, 99, 103 
 Relationship between recognition of 
 
 meaning and eye movements, 93, 99 
 
 Sampling method, 69 
 
 Short fixations, 80 
 
 Silent reading of test paragraph, 95 
 
 Stages of reading development, 103 
 
 Subjects, 7 
 
 Summary, analysis of eye-voice span, 62 
 
 Test paragraph, 87 
 
 Thought units, 50 
 
 Training experiment, S3^ 10 -\ 
 
 Types of regressive movements, 5S, 59 
 
 Unit of measure, 9 
 
 Upward eye movements, 24, 68 
 
 Voice line, 65 
 
 105
 
 3421 1
 
 342 

 
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